author
Jeremias Gotthelf
1797–1854
A Swiss pastor-novelist who turned village life into gripping fiction, he wrote with warmth, sharp observation, and a strong sense of moral purpose. His stories helped make the everyday world of rural Bern feel vivid, dramatic, and deeply human.
1 Audiobook
Miten Uli-renki tulee onnelliseksi: Romaani
by Jeremias Gotthelf
About the author
Born Albert Bitzius in Morat, Switzerland, in 1797, he later became known by the pen name Jeremias Gotthelf. He studied theology, served as a Reformed pastor, and spent much of his life in the canton of Bern, especially in the rural community of Lützelflüh.
He began publishing fiction relatively late, in the 1830s. His first major work, Der Bauernspiegel, gave him the name he would keep as an author. Again and again, his books returned to the lives of farmers, laborers, families, and village communities, showing both the hardships of country life and the strength, stubbornness, humor, and faith he saw there.
Gotthelf is remembered as one of the major voices of Swiss literature. Alongside his storytelling, he cared deeply about education, poverty, and social reform, and that concern gives his writing much of its force: even when his work is moral and critical, it stays close to real people and the pressures of everyday life.