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Arnold Kübler

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Arnold Kübler
Editor-in-Chief of the Zürcher Illustrierte
In office
1929–1941
Editor-in-Chief of Du
In office
1941–1958
Personal details
Born2 August 1890
Wiesendangen, Zürich
Died27 December 1983
Zürich

Arnold Kübler (2 August 1890 - 27 December 1983) was a Swiss journalist and writer. He was the editor-in-chief of the Zürcher Illustrierte and of the cultural magazine Du. In his later career, he also acted as a one-man cabaret.

Education and early life

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Kübler was born on the 2 August 1890 in Wiesendangen, Canton Zurich to a farmer. He attended high school in Winterthur[1] and from 1911 onwards studied geology at the University of Zurich and University of Delft.[2] He gave up his studied in 1917 and unsuccessfully attempted to become a sculptor.[1] Then he began to draw ,eventually turning to writing and becoming an actor at the Theater in Zürich.[3] In an attempt to enhance his German, he went to Germany[3] and after World War I was engaged as an actor in Görlitz,[2] Dresden and Berlin.[1] This acting career came to a sudden end when a surgery left disfiguring scars on his face.[1][3] However, the years of apprenticeship and travel were followed by clear continuity in creativity and recognition of work.[1] In 1922, Kübler had his first literary success with the play Schuster Aiolos, which premiered in Potsdam.[1]

Professional career

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After his return to Switzerland in 1926,[2] he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Zürcher Illustrierte in 1929,[4][5] which under his lead developed into a respected literary and photographic magazine.[6] He was convinced that a photograph can also be a vehicle of a message[6] and worked with prominent photographers Paul Senn or Gotthard Schuh.[7] In the literary section works by Hermann Hesse or Max Frisch were included.[7] In 1941, Conzett & Huber decided to sell the «Zürcher Illustrierte» and publish a new magazine with which they planned to promote the multi-color print they have developed.[8] Arnold Kübler became the editor-inchief of the newly founded cultural magazine "Du", which he ran for 16 years.[1] Under Küblers leadership the Du became a well respected cultural magazine, employed prominent photographers like before also the Zürcher Illustrierte and focused on painters like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro or Paul Klee.[2] In the 1960s he returned to the theater stage with great success as a one-man cabaret.[1]

Literary career

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In 1934 his first novel "Failed Actor", a piece about a Swiss actor who attempts to speak a pure German language was published.[4] He is also well known for the autobiographically inspired Öppi novels.[1] In addition, Kübler was active in drawing and writing.[1] He combined these two forms especially in his late works, such as in the workshop book Draw, Antonio! of 1966 or in Paris-Bâle à pied in 1967.[1] Paris-Bâle à pied is an account about his wandering on foot from Basel to Paris in twenty-eight days.[3]

Awards and recognition

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1954 Carl Heinrich Ernst Art Prize[9]

1963 Literary prize of the City of Zürich[2]

1981 Honorary citizen of Wiesendangen[2]

1991 Du issue on Arnold Kübler for the 50 years anniversary of the Du[10]

Personal life

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Arnold Kübler married Alva Carolina Fredrika Gierzt in 1927 and was the father of a daughter.[2] He died on 27 December 1983 in Zurich.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Arnold Kübler | Viceversa Literatur". www.viceversaliteratur.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Bachmann, Dieter. "Kübler, Arnold". Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  3. ^ a b c d Wichor, Simon (2017-12-28). Literatur und Zeitung: Fallstudien aus der deutschsprachigen Schweiz von Jeremias Gotthelf bis Dieter Bachmann (in German). Chronos. p. 173. ISBN 978-3-0340-1356-7. Retrieved 2022-02-14. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b "Literatur - Arnold Kübler und sein Schweizer Don Quichote". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  5. ^ Locher, Hubert (2013). "Du, die Kunst und die Fotografie". Marburger Jahrbuch für Kunstwissenschaft. 40: 301. ISSN 0342-121X. JSTOR 43835262.
  6. ^ a b Wichor, Simon (2017) p.173
  7. ^ a b Wichor, Simon (2017), p.171
  8. ^ Howald, Stefan (2012-02-07). "«Du»: In Zuneigung zur Welt". WOZ Die Wochenzeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  9. ^ "Carl Heinrich Ernst-Kunststiftung - Winterthur Glossar". www.winterthur-glossar.ch. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  10. ^ "DU601 – Hommage an Arnold Kübler". DU - das Kulturmagazin (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-13.