ROSEGGER, PETER

born July 31, 1843, Alpl, Austria died June 26, 1918, Krieglach Austrian writer known for his novels describing provincial life. The son of a peasant, Rosegger became a travelling tailor and then studied at a commercial school in Graz. His first published work (1869) was a collection of poems in dialect, but he soon began to write mildly didactic stories and novels about the people, customs, and landscape of his native Styria. Rosegger's most famous novels are Waldheimat (1877; The Forest Farm, 1912) and Die Schriften des Waldschulmeisters (1875; The Forest Schoolmaster, 1901). Always concerned with social reform, he especially favoured the spread of rural education. His autobiographical and religious writings were widely read and include Der Gottsucher (1883; The God-Seeker, 1901) and Mein Weltleben (1898). His Gesammelte Werke, 40 vol. (Collected Works) appeared in 191416.