KELLER, GOTTFRIED

born July 19, 1819, Zrich died July 16, 1890, Zrich the greatest German-Swiss narrative writer of the late 19th-century realistic school. His father, a lathe artisan, died in Keller's early childhood, but his strong-willed, devoted mother struggled to provide him with an education. After being expelled from secondary school for a prank, he took up landscape painting. Two years' study in Munich (184042) brought little success, so he returned to Zrich, where he published his first poems in 1846. From 1848 to 1850 the Zrich government sponsored his studies at Heidelberg, where he was deeply influenced by the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. From 1850 to 1855 he lived in Berlin. Intending to write for the theatre, he wrote instead the long autobiographical novel Der grne Heinrich (185455; Green Henry), on which his reputation rests. It was completely revised 25 years later (187980), and in this version, which is standard, the personal story of a young man's development becomes a classic Bildungsroman (educational novel) in the tradition of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister. Green Henry (so called because his frugal mother made all his clothes from a single bolt of green cloth) sets out to become an artist. After some success and many disappointments, he returns to his native city and wins some respect and contentment in a modest post as a civil servant. Keller returned to Zrich in 1855 and became clerk to the canton (186176). These 15 years allowed him almost no time for writing. He resumed his literary career late in life. Keller is also well known for his short stories, some of which are collected as Die Leute von Seldwyla (185674; The People of Seldwyla) and Sieben Legenden (1872; Seven Legends). His last novel, Martin Salander (1886), deals with political life in Switzerland in his time.