Austrian Society for Literature

The Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literatur (ÖGfL; Austrian Society for Literature) is a Vienna-based association founded in 1961 as part of a broad state initiative by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education to support literature. It is the oldest institution in Austria dedicated to literary events and literary mediation. Its founding concept is attributed to the journalist, editor and essayist Wolfgang Kraus, who led the society from 1961 to 1994, and it also reflected the cultural-policy ideas of the official Austrian cultural administration under Minister Heinrich Drimmel and section head Alfred Weikert. The society is headquartered in the Palais Wilczek at Herrengasse 5 in Vienna's first district, where it was presented to the public on 18 December 1961. At the opening event Heimito von Doderer read from his then-unpublished novel "Die Merowinger"; the invitation card carried the ironic note "Kein Streichquartett" ("No string quartet") to signal that this would not be one of the usual opening ceremonies. Regular event activity began in 1962, and since 1961 roughly 60 to 80 public events have been held each year. The ÖGfL's core mission is the presentation of new contemporary Austrian literature, the invitation of authors and literary scholars who were driven into exile, and the cultivation of contacts with authors, translators and literary scholars beyond the Iron Curtain. Early guests included exiled writers such as Erich Fried, Manès Sperber and Elias Canetti, as well as authors, translators and scholars from communist-ruled states, among them Tibor Déry, Blaga Dimitrova, Eduard Goldstücker, Václav Havel, Julius Hay, Oskar Pastior and Stanisław Lem. For Austrian authors the institution was especially important: in the 1960s and 1970s it repeatedly invited figures such as Ilse Aichinger, Ingeborg Bachmann, Thomas Bernhard, Heimito von Doderer, Barbara Frischmuth, Peter Handke, Marlen Haushofer, Ernst Jandl, Elfriede Jelinek, Friederike Mayröcker and Peter Turrini to readings. Beyond events, the society promotes Austrian literature internationally by supporting translators and foreign German studies, and by sending tens of thousands of books of Austrian literature to all continents. It also awards scholarships and oversees the Austrian libraries abroad (Österreich-Bibliotheken). It works closely with the federal ministry responsible for arts and culture and is currently subsidized mainly by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS). Leadership passed from Wolfgang Kraus to the writer Marianne Gruber, who served from 1994 to 2014 and focused on international contacts with universities and libraries, especially the Austrian libraries abroad, and on networking with Austrian literary institutions. Since 2014 the society has been led by the Germanist Manfred Müller, who describes its role as balancing the market by giving a voice to those who do not succeed commercially and by presenting more than just guaranteed bestsellers and already well-known authors. He has also intensified cooperation with the Austrian Franz Kafka Society, which is closely connected to the ÖGfL. The current team includes Manfred Müller, Ursula Ebel, Ines Scholz, Beatrix Erber, Nicole Kiefer, Magdalena Widhalm, Marianne Gruber, Mária Kristína Ďurková, Johanna Peimpolt, Alina Camerer and Natalie Baumann.

The Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literatur (ÖGfL) was founded in 1961 within the framework of a comprehensive initiative by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education for state literary promotion. It is the oldest literary events and mediation institution in Austria. Its conception came not only from its founder and long-time director (1961–1994), the journalist, editor and essayist Wolfgang Kraus, but also corresponded in many respects to the ideas of official Austrian cultural policy under Federal Minister Heinrich Drimmel and section head Alfred Weikert. In the founding speech on 18 December 1961, in the newly adapted rooms of the Austrian Society for Literature on the second floor of the Palais Wilczek at Herrengasse 5, ÖGfL president Wolfgang Kraus informed the public about the goals of the new institution. Three aspects were particularly relevant: the presentation of new publications of contemporary Austrian literature; the invitation of authors and literary scholars who had been driven into exile; and the establishment of contact with authors, translators and literary scholars beyond the Iron Curtain. On the same day the newly founded society was presented to the public; at the opening event Heimito von Doderer read from his not-yet-published novel "Die Merowinger", and the invitation card carried the ironic note "Kein Streichquartett" to ensure that this would not be one of the usual opening ceremonies. Event activity began in 1962. Among the first guests were authors who had been driven out during the Nazi regime, such as Erich Fried, Manès Sperber and Elias Canetti. Authors, translators and scholars from communist-ruled states were also invited to Vienna, especially from states that had once been part of the Danube Monarchy. These included Tibor Déry (Hungary), Blaga Dimitrova (Bulgaria), Eduard Goldstücker (Czechoslovakia), Václav Havel (Czechoslovakia), Julius Hay (Hungary), Oskar Pastior (Romania) and Stanisław Lem (Poland), among many others. Most important, however, was the newly founded institution for Austrian authors. In the 1960s and 1970s, figures such as Ilse Aichinger, Gerhard Amanshauser, Hans Carl Artmann, Ingeborg Bachmann, Thomas Bernhard, Heimito von Doderer, Barbara Frischmuth, Gerhard Fritsch, Elfriede Gerstl, Peter Handke, Marlen Haushofer, Ernst Jandl, Elfriede Jelinek, Gert F. Jonke, Alfred Kollertisch, Friederike Mayröcker, Peter Turrini, Ilse Tielsch and Hans Weigel were often invited to readings, sometimes repeatedly. Besides literary critics, Germanists such as Walter Weiss and Werner Welzig regularly appeared on stage. The ÖGfL tried to establish Vienna as an international literary city, and the conditions were favorable: "By functionalizing the city in foreign policy as a kind of neutral zone between the two power blocs separated by the Iron Curtain, it was possible to invite authors, Germanists and intellectuals from 'East' and 'West' to readings and scholarship stays." In 1973 the literary critic and founder of the Documentation Center for Modern Austrian Literature, Viktor Suchy, described the Austrian Society for Literature, which had existed for more than 10 years by then, as "an 'Austrian miracle' in the provincial narrowness and intellectual desolation of the Second Republic" and as a "fulminantly lived 'contradiction' to everything that one so gladly associates subliminally with the adjective 'Austrian'." In the following decades the Austrian Society for Literature continued to work with the federal ministry responsible for arts agendas but was able to emancipate itself in terms of content. It is currently subsidized mainly by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS). Wolfgang Kraus's staff included the cultural publicist and publisher Otto Breicha, the translator Hella Bronold, the theater scholar and literary mediator Reinhard Urbach, the later journalist Hans Haider, the writer and publisher Kurt Klinger, the writer Herbert Zand and the writer, translator and publisher Helmuth A. Niederle. The society was closely connected with the writer Gerhard Fritsch, editor of Wort in der Zeit, because that journal was housed in the ÖGfL rooms in the 1960s. Kraus led the ÖGfL from 1961 to 1994; the Germanist Stefan Maurer rates his influence on Austrian literature highly: Kraus was able "not only to propagate Austrian literature but, owing to his manifold positions, equally to help form and steer it." Kraus's successor was the writer Marianne Gruber, who during her 20-year tenure (1994–2014) worked especially for international contacts with universities and libraries (above all the Austrian libraries abroad) and for good networking and cooperation with Austrian literary institutions. Since 2014 the leadership has been in the hands of the Germanist Manfred Müller, who also sees institutions like the ÖGfL as an important regulatory force: "We try to balance the market. To give a voice also to those who for whatever reason do not succeed in the market, not only to present the books that guarantee a big sales success from the outset, not only to present the authors who are already known due to their media presence." He has also intensified cooperation with the Austrian Franz Kafka Society, which is closely connected to the ÖGfL.

• 2014

  Marianne Gruber ends her 20-year tenure; Germanist Manfred Müller becomes director.

• 1994

  Wolfgang Kraus ends his directorship after 33 years; writer Marianne Gruber becomes director.

• 1973

  Literary critic Viktor Suchy describes the ÖGfL as an 'Austrian miracle' in the provincial narrowness of the Second Republic.

• 1962

  Regular event activity begins; early guests include exiled authors Erich Fried, Manès Sperber and Elias Canetti.

• 1961

  ÖGfL founded as part of a Federal Ministry of Education initiative for state literary promotion; presented to the public on 18 December in the Palais Wilczek.

Austria's oldest literary events and mediation institution, a publicly subsidized association that presents contemporary Austrian literature, supports authors outside the commercial mainstream, and fosters international literary exchange.

• Neue Literatur aus Österreich

  Event series presenting new publications of contemporary Austrian literature.

• Werk.Gänge

  Discussion series moderated by Brigitte Schwens-Harrant.

• Da Capo: Literatur im Café (De)Central

  Literary readings held at Café Decentral, Freyung 3/1, 1010 Vienna.

• Österreich-Bibliotheken

  Austrian libraries abroad overseen by the ÖGfL.

• Scholarships

  Scholarships for writers and translators, including residency stays.

1. 1Home: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturogl.at
2. 2Geschichte: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturogl.at
3. 3Über uns: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturogl.at
4. 4Team: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturogl.at
5. 5Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturwikidata.org
6. 6Österreichische Gesellschaft für Literaturde.wikipedia.org