Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter
Keywords
Albert Béguin, romanticism, mysticism
Abstract
Béguin, Albert (1901-57), Swiss critic, translator, and editor, was born into a family of agnostic educators in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the Neuchâtel canton. In his formative years, Béguin was attracted to the nonorthodox spiritual quality of such Catholic writers as Charles Péguy and Paul Claudel. Although Béguin eventually became a socialist dedicated to humanitarian concerns, his critical works usually emphasize the mystical aspects of literature. Béguin received his license in literature at the University of Geneva, and in 1925 he moved to Paris, where he was exposed to the ideological ferment of the era but was personally unable to adopt a single political platform. During this time he began to study German romanticism, a subject of seminal importance to him. He also began translating into French works by such German writers as E.T. A. Hoffmann, Eduard Mörike, Jean Paul, Goethe, Ludwig Tieck, and Georg Büchner.
Recommended Citation
Nalbantian, Suzanne
(1982)
"Albert Béguin (1901-1957),"
Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter: Vol. 18:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_newsletter/vol18/iss2/4