Tradition and Individualism: Hans Banziger's Books on Swiss and German Literature

Authors

Marianne Burkhard

Keywords

Swiss literature, German literature, Hans Banziger, Modern Language Association, Swiss schools

Abstract

Over the years, I have seen Hans Banziger here and there, on both sides of the Atlantic. His slender figure would appear in the midst of people crowding lecture rooms at meetings of the Modern Language Association in New York or Chicago, his smile would suddenly greet me, in the summer, at the library in Zurich, and whenever possible he would attend the annual meeting of the Swiss American Historical Society, an intent listener often adding thoughtful comments or questions. Rather short in stature, his grey hair closely cropped, he has always been, for me, an example of the "Swiss" type which, in Hans Banziger's case, is quite clearly that of his native Canton of Appenzell. In my work I repeatedly came across his writings. Yet only recently, with my growing interest in Swiss literature and in the work that Swiss-Americans have been doing on Switzerland, did I start wondering about his oeuvre as a whole, about the connections between his books and the general directions of his thinking. Thus, I would like to present here Banziger' s main writings and attempt an intellectual portrait, if you will, of this scholar and interpreter of Swiss and German literature.

Recommended Citation

Burkhard, Marianne (1985) "Tradition and Individualism: Hans Banziger's Books on Swiss and German Literature," Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter: Vol. 21: Iss. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_newsletter/vol21/iss2/5