author
Wilhelm Schäfer
1868–1952
Best known for short stories and anecdotes, this German writer moved from schoolteaching into a long literary career that brought him a wide readership. His work was once celebrated in Germany, though parts of his legacy are now viewed more critically because of his ties to nationalist thought and the Nazi era.
3 Audiobooks
Deutsche Humoristen, 8. Band (von 8)
by Otto Julius Bierbaum, Gorch Fock, Rudolf Presber, Wilhelm Schäfer, Karl Schönherr, Ludwig Thoma
Die dreizehn Bücher der deutschen Seele
by Wilhelm Schäfer
Lebenstag eines Menschenfreundes : Roman
by Wilhelm Schäfer
About the author
Born on January 20, 1868, in Ottrau, Wilhelm Schäfer trained as a teacher and worked in elementary schools before turning fully to literature. After further study supported by the Cotta publishing house, he became a freelance writer in Berlin and later lived in places including Vallendar and Bodman near Lake Constance.
He wrote mainly short stories and anecdotes, often linked to the tradition of writers such as Kleist and Hebel. Over time he became a prominent literary figure, and his 1922 book Die dreizehn Bücher der deutschen Seele helped shape his public reputation.
Schäfer died on January 19, 1952, in Überlingen. Although he was widely honored during his lifetime, modern accounts of his career often note his involvement with nationalist ideas and his closeness to the cultural politics of the Nazi period, which has made his legacy more contested today.