Max Rychner
Max Rychner (8 April 1897 in Lichtensteig, Switzerland – 10 June 1965 in Zurich) - was a Swiss writer, journalist, translator, and literary critic, writing in German. Hannah Arendt called him "[O]ne of the most educated and subtle figures in the intellectual life of the era" Rychner published several books of poetry, short stories, essays, and autobiographical prose, and translated some of the works of Paul Valéry into German. For several decades, he was one of the most influential literary critics and reviewers writing in German.
Max Rychner
Harvey Kneeslapper · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Max Rychner
- Born
- 8 April 1897
- Birthplace
- Lichtensteig, Switzerland
- Died
- 10 June 1965
- Place of death
- Zurich
- Occupation
- writer, journalist, translator, and literary critic
- Awards
- Gottfried-Keller-Preis
- Nationality
- Switzerland
- Fields
- literary criticism · Swiss literature · journalism
- Honours
- Willibald-Pirckheimer-Medaille · Gottfried-Keller-Preis
- Languages
- German
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Documentary summary
Max Rychner (8 April 1897 in Lichtensteig, Switzerland – 10 June 1965 in Zurich) - was a Swiss writer, journalist, translator, and literary critic, writing in German. Hannah Arendt called him "[O]ne of the most educated and subtle figures in the intellectual life of the era" Rychner published several books of poetry, short stories, essays, and autobiographical prose, and translated some of the works of Paul Valéry into German. For several decades, he was one of the most influential literary critics and reviewers writing in German.
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Max Rychner (1897–1965) was an editor, journalist and linguist, among other activities, of Swiss nationality. The editor was born in Lichtensteig and died in Zurich.
Max Rychner was a member of Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and German Academy for Language and Literature. Activity centred on journalism, literary criticism and Swiss literature.
Languages used include German. Honours include Gottfried-Keller-Preis and Willibald-Pirckheimer-Medaille.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026
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wikidata · Q117997 · wikipedia · Max Rychner
In this article
Biography
Biography
He admired, promoted, and published the works of Robert Walser, and corresponded with Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Thomas Mann, Gottfried Benn, Ernst Robert Curtius, and others. He championed the young poet Paul Celan and published the memoirs of Walter Benjamin. In 1956, Rychner won the Gottfried Keller Award.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Max Rychner • Born — 8 April 1897 • Birthplace — Lichtensteig, Switzerland • Died — 10 June 1965 • Place of death — Zurich • Occupation — writer, journalist, translator, and literary critic • Language — German • Awards — Gottfried-Keller-Preis
Career and activity
Career and activity
Max Rychner worked in literary criticism, Swiss literature and journalism. He belonged to German Academy for Language and Literature and Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts.
Identity
Identity
Max Rychner is recorded as having received Willibald-Pirckheimer-Medaille and Gottfried-Keller-Preis.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1897
Max Rychner born at Lichtensteig.
1965
Max Rychner died at Zurich.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Lichtensteig.
Birth place
Zurich.
Death place
Published works
• Bei mir laufen Fäden zusammen. Literarische Aufsätze, Kritiken, Briefe. Literarische Aufsätze, Kritiken, Briefe. Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 1998 Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 1998
Primary material
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reference work
- “Max Rychner”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q117997: Max Rychner
General reference · Wikidata
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
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