Agnes Gutter

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Agnes Gutter (born August 8, 1917 in Zurich ; † April 21, 1982 in Solothurn ) was a Swiss researcher in fairy tales , children's and young adult literature .

Live and act

She grew up in Kilchberg with her brother, who is six years younger than her . After completing the girls' high school, Agnes Gutter studied medicine because she wanted to become a missionary doctor . But she dropped out of medical school for health reasons. At the age of 22 she joined the Seraphisches Liebeswerk Solothurn (Tertiary Order) and made solemn promises on October 4, 1941. At the request of the community leadership, Agnes Gutter studied law at the University of Friborg . She completed her studies in 1948 with a doctorate . The topic of her dissertation was: "Free and State Welfare - A Social Theoretical Investigation with Special Consideration of the State Utopia". Until 1956 she worked as a lawyer in the archive and in the “Legal Service” department, to which fellow sisters with legal problems could turn.

Agnes Gutter was not particularly suited to legal discipline. She was interested in children's and youth literature. In this regard, she built a remarkable study and educational library. Under Agnes Gutters leadership, the youth literature working group was founded in 1955 , which was widely recognized far beyond Switzerland's borders. His tasks were:

“It should be able to provide information about the content of youth literature, evaluate it and deal with the practical usability of this literature. One focus of this work was: Which youth literature addresses mentally and / or damaged young readers and promotes them on their way through life? "

Agnes Gutter paid particular attention to religious literature for children and young people, which she believed was in crisis in the early 1960s:

“Those who have to be particularly interested in religious youth literature - and these are above all the clergy, then the publishers and the discussion and advice centers - are increasingly aware of the largely unpleasant situation of this youth literature in a crisis culminates. "

In 1968 her publication “Märchen und Märe ” appeared, which was awarded the Specialist Literature Prize of the Premio Euopeo di Caorle . In it, Agnes Gutter interprets the fairy tales from a depth psychological point of view. So she interprets z. B. the procedure in the “witch's house” of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel as a replacement process . For them it is Hansel who, although abandoned by his mother, is still trapped in the “mother image”:

“In this way the independence that he has to grow towards disappears in his bond with his mother, it is swallowed up. That's why the witch 'likes it to eat' "

In addition to her many tasks taught Agnes Gutter include the subjects Armenrecht 's literature on 1933 founded Solothurn Sozialpädagogischen care trough Seminar of the Seraphic love plant (now University of Applied Sciences Solothurn Northwestern Switzerland ), also young people's literature on youth leaders seminar (today Catholic University of Freiburg ) in Freiburg and at the Special Education Seminar (now Interkantonale University of Curative Education Zurich ) in Zurich.

After a long and serious illness, Agnes Gutter died at the age of 64 of complications from cancer.

Works (selection)

  • Free and State Welfare. A social-theoretical investigation with special consideration of the state utopias. Solothurn 1948.
  • Comments on the current state of religious literature for young people. In: Educational World. 1962, pp. 44-448, 501-504, 557-560, and the like. 669-670.
  • Fairy tales and fairs. Psychological interpretation and pedagogical evaluation. Solothurn 1968.
  • Youth literature and proclamation. In: Informatio. 1972, pp. 68-77.
  • Progressive fairy tales? In: Informatio. H. 1, 1974, pp. 83-87.
  • It is a ribbon from my heart ... On the significance of the fairy tale "The Frog King or the Iron Heinrich" for mental hygiene. Solothurn 1976.
  • On psychosexual maturation in folk tales. Freudian aspects in the fairy tale of the little table set yourself. Solothurn 1977.
  • Sketches for the methodology and didactics of youth literature lessons. 1. Part methodological problems and suggestions. Solothurn 1977.
  • Age, Illness and Death in Youth Literature. In: Informatio. 1977, pp. 88-106, 128-135 and 1978, pp. 8-16 and 94-99.
  • Family as a risk and an opportunity. Solothurn 1978.

literature

  • Eduard Montalta : In memoriam: Dr. jur. Agnes Gutter. In: Quarterly journal for curative education and its neighboring areas. H. 2, 1982, p. 169.
  • Kathrin Huber, Anna-Katharina Egli: Agnes Gutter, Johanna Haups: Pioneers of Social Education, Köniz 1995.
  • Manfred Berger : Agnes Gutter. In: Kurt Franz , Günter Lange, Franz-Josef Payrhuber (Hrsg.): Children's and youth literature. A lexicon. 48th result. February 2013, Meitingen 2013, pp. 1–18.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. gem-sls.ch
  2. Huber / Egli 1995, p. 59.
  3. Huber / Egli 1995, p. 59.
  4. Huber / Egli 1995, p. 63 f.
  5. Gutter 1961, p. 444.
  6. Gutter 1968, p. 107.