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Wilhelm Schäfer

1868 – 1952

German writer

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About Wilhelm Schäfer

Lived 1868 – 1952 (aged 83). Wilhelm Schäfer was a German writer, editor, teacher, narrator and editing staff.

Wilhelm Schäfer (20 January 1868 – 19 January 1952) was a German writer.

Life

Born in Ottrau (Hesse), until 1896 Schäfer was a school teacher. He gained a scholarship to study in Switzerland and France through the Cotta-Verlag publishing house, and in 1898 became a freelance writer in Berlin. He lived in Vallendar from 1900 to 1915, and from 1918 until his death in 1952, he lived in Bodman on the Bodensee.

His work (drama, novels, and short prose pieces) were naturalist in style and marked with "völkisch" and national elements. In 1930 he published a novel about the shoe-maker Wilhelm Voigt with the title Der Hauptmann von Köpenick.

From 1900 to 1920, he published the magazine Die Rheinlande. His early work was especially influenced by naturalism. Important novellas were "Die unterbrochene Rheinfahrt" (1913) und "Hölderlins Einkehr" (1925). Schäfer's folksy language and mystification of the "German soul" made his work popular with the Nazis.

Awards

1941 Goethepreis der Stadt Frankfurt 1948 Honorary citizen of Bodman

Works (selection)

Die zehn Gebote. Erzählungen des Kanzelfriedrich, 1897 Rheinsagen, 1908 Karl Stauffers Lebensgang. Eine Chronik der Leidenschaft, 1912 Das fremde Fräulein (Novelle über den Tod der Idilia Dubb auf Burg Lahneck) Die dreizehn Bücher der deutschen Seele, 1922 Winckelmanns Ende, 1925 Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, 1930 Mein Leben, 1934 Theoderich, König des Abendlandes, 1939 Lebenstag eines Menschenfreundes (Ein Pestalozzi Roman), 1915

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt; Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt; Immermann-Preis
Also known as
W. Gischler, Reinhold Treu

People in Wilhelm Schäfer's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Wilhelm Schäfer's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Wilhelm Schäfer?

German writer (1868-1952)

When was Wilhelm Schäfer born?

Wilhelm Schäfer was born on 20 January 1868 in Ottrau.

When did Wilhelm Schäfer die?

Wilhelm Schäfer died on 19 January 1952 in Überlingen.

What was Wilhelm Schäfer's occupation?

Wilhelm Schäfer was a writer, editor, teacher, narrator and editing staff.

What nationality was Wilhelm Schäfer?

Wilhelm Schäfer was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Wilhelm Schäfer

· Wikidata: Q76650

· DBpedia: Wilhelm Schäfer

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wilhelm Schäfer. https://biography.guide/wilhelm-schafer/

MLA: "Wilhelm Schäfer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wilhelm-schafer/.

Chicago: "Wilhelm Schäfer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wilhelm-schafer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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