Please see French or German biography for more information.
Stefan Zweig was born on the 28th november 1881 in Wien (Austria). He studied philosophy, and then started writing poetry, dramas and translated many french works into german. Eager pacifist, he was dreaming of an united Europe ; the First World War deeply hurted him and was a turning-point in his career. He started writing short stories, which had great success and made him very famous. But because he was Jew, he had to leave Austria in 1934. Unfortunately nowhere could he find peace of mind, and his despair concerning the war made him commit suicide at Petropolis (Brazil), on the 22th february, 1942.
1881- 28th November Stefan Zweig born
1897 - First publication (poetry) in journals
1900 - 1904 - Student of Philosophy and History of Literature
1901 - First book publication Silberne Saiten Gedichte
1902 - First contribution to arts pages of Neue Freie Presse in Vienna
1902-1903 - Winter semester as student at University of Berlin
1904 - Dissertation The Philosophy of Hippolyte Taine ends his studies
1904 - First volume of novellas published Die Liebe der Erika Ewald. Extensive period in Paris
in London
1906 - Second volume of poems published Die fruhen Kranze. Trips to Italy, Spain and London
1907 - Moves into own flat. Verse drama Tersites is published (premier on 26-11-08 in Dresden
and Kassel
1908-1909 - Five months trip to India, Ceylon, Burma and Indo-China
1910 - Monograph on Emile Verhaeren and two volume edition of his works translated by
Stefan Zweig
1911 - Trip to USA, Canada, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Erstes Erlebnis:
Vier Novellen aus Kinderland published
1912 - Premiere of the tragedy Das Haus am Meer at Vienna Burgtheater on 26th October. Zweig
meets Frederika Maria von Winternitz
1913 - The novella Brennendes Gehimnis is published Zweig first meets Romain Rolland
1914 - On November 12th Zweig volunteers for war service. Two weeks later he is assigned to the
War Archives. Contributes to illustrated journal Donauland
1916-1917 - Moves with Frederika to Kalksburg near Vienna. Buys house in Salzburg
1917 - Two months' leave for the premiere of the play Jeremias turns into 18 month Swiss stay.
Close contact with Romain Rolland and his pacifist circle
1919 - Returns to Austria, moves to Salzburg
1920 - Marriage to Frederika. Story Der Zwang and volume of essays Drei Meister on Balzac,
Dickens and Dostoevsky
1921 - Biography of Romain Rolland, der Mann und das Werk published
1922 - Amok, Novellen einer Leidenschaft and Die Augen des ewigen Bruders published. Stefan
Zweig's edition of Paul Verlaine's collected works also appears
1924 - Stefan Zweig's Collected Poems published
1925 - Der Kampf mit dem Damon (essays on Holderlin, Kleist and Nietzsche) published
1926 - The play Volpone, adapted from Ben Jonson, published. Premiere at Vienna
Burgtheater 6-10-27. His father dies.
1927 - Stories Verwirrung der Gefuhle and Sternstunden der Menschheit published. Ten volume
edition of Stefan Zweig's works appears in Soviet Union.
1928 - Erwin Rieger's biography of Zweig published in Berlin. Third volume of essays Drei Dichter
ihres Lebens (Casanova, Stendhal, Tolstoy) published. Visits Soviet Union.
1929 - Joseph Fouche: Bildnis eines politischen Menschen published. Play Das Lamm der Armen
published (premiere 15-3-30 in Berlin) Volume of novellas Kleine Chronik published.
1930 - Visit to Italy.
1931 - Volume of essays Die Heilung durch den Geist (Freud, Anton Mesmer, Mary Baker-Eddy)
published. Journey to France, meets Joseph Roth.
1932 - Marie Antoinette: Bildnis eines mittleren Charakters
1933 - From October, first extend trip to London.
1934 - Police search for weapons in his house leads Stefan Zweig to leave Salzburg, until 1940 he
lives in exile in Great Britain (London and Bath). Biographical essay Triumph und Tragik des
Erasmus von Rotterdam published in Vienna. Lotte Altmann becomes his secretary. Journey to
Switzerland and Salzburg.
1935 - Premiere on 24th June at Dresden of the opera Die schweigsame Frau with libretto by Stefan
Zweig and music by Richard Strauss. Banned after three performances. Visits Switzerland, France and USA. Biography of Maria Stuart published in Vienna.
1936 - Castellio gegen Calvin: ein Gewissen gegen Gewalt published. Visits Brazil and Argentina
1937 - Publication of first collection of essays and memoirs Begegnungen mit Menschen, Buchern,
Stadten. Sells Salzburg house.
1938 - Visits Portugal, writes and publishes Magellan: Der Mann und seine Tat.
1939 - The novel Ungeduld des Herzens published in London and Stokholm. Stefan Zweig moved to Bath and marries Lotte Altmann.
1940 - March-becomes British subject. Lectures in Paris on Das Wien von Gestern. July-Lecture tour through South America, visits USA.
1941 - Brasilien-ein Land der Zukunft published in Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro. Summer in New
York State when Zweig finished his autobiography Die Welt von Gestern: Erinnerungen eines
Europaers. August-departs for Brazil rents house in Rio, writes Schachnovelle and essay on
Montaigne.
1942 - Suicide of Stefan and Lotte Zweig on the 22nd February. State funeral at Petropolis cemetary.