Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Creating an unbroken world: obituary for Jakob Streit

The much-translated Swiss writer of children’s books and books for young people, Jakob Streit, died in Switzerland on 15 May at the age of 98. In the following obituary by Dominik Rose, the publishers Freies Geistesleben and Urachhaus celebrate one of their most successful authors

STUTTGART (NNA) – Born on 23 September 1910 in Spiez on Lake Thun, Jakob Streit published more than thirty books for children and young people. The city of Bern honoured him with its literary prize in 1956 and many of his works have been translated into English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Czech and Slovenian.

One focus of his literary work was on animal stories, fairy tales, legends and the retelling of Biblical stories, books which enjoy great popularity among children and adolescent readers. “When I stopped being a teacher,” Jakob Streit once said, “I felt as if I was surrounded by children and young people who helped me as I was writing.”

Apart from his literary work, Jakob Streit worked as a teacher for many years and never ceased to be in demand as a speaker on education and anthroposophy.

In addition, this versatile artist worked, among other things, as an actor in the theatre and opera director (directing Gluck’s “Orpheus” in Chieming in 1989 for example). A keen nature lover, he passionately devoted himself to beekeeping.

With his books, Streit wanted to reintroduce his young readers - but also their parents telling the stories - to nature, awaken the artist in the child and contribute to a more profound understanding of nature and the human being (for example in “Das Bienenbuch” (The Book of Bees) and his popular novel in schools “Milon und der Löwe” (Milon and the Lion)).

“Children should be given a lot of unbroken world, they will get the broken one soon enough,” the teacher and children’s author once said. He saw children as “little plants which had to be protected from the frost”.

They should only gradually and cautiously be confronted with the evil in the world and stories and fairy tales could support that process. As a result, he created the childhood legends, books about gnomes and animals which were intended to introduce the reader – be it children or adults – to the wonders of nature.

Alongside the “Book of Bees”, the stories about gnomes “Tatatucks Reise zum Kristallberg“ (Tatatucks Journey to the Crystal Mountain”) and “Liputto”, as well as “Louis Braille”, a biographical novel about the inventor of braille who celebrates his two hundredth birthday this year, belong to his most successful works

The publishers Freies Geistesleben and Urachhaus, who published many of Jakob Streit’s books, have lost a versatile and inspiring author who with his poetic and empathetic stories had a particular sense for the feelings of his young readers.

Jakob Streit – 23 September 1910–15 May 2009

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Item: 090630-02EN Date: 30 June 2009

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