Gerhard Schweizer

Gerhard Schweizer (born September 12, 1940 in Stuttgart ) is a German cultural scientist and freelance writer .

Life

Schweizer studied empirical cultural studies, German studies, political science and history at the University of Tübingen and received his doctorate there in 1975 in empirical cultural studies . He has lived in Vienna as a freelance writer since 1976 . His first publications concentrate on German literature and cultural studies, before the focus shifted to the cultural comparison of the Orient and Occident. Since 1960 travels have taken him to the Islamic, Indian and Chinese cultures. He is a non-fiction and novelist.

Positions

The basic theme of most of his books is the profound conflict between the West and non-European cultures. The subject of Islam occupies the broadest area . Based on personal impressions and diverse examples from past and present, Schweizer shows why the Islamic and Western worlds are culturally closely intertwined. In addition, he analyzes why the cultural power Islam far surpassed Europe in tolerance and progressiveness during the Middle Ages, but why the West quickly overtook the Islamic cultural area in importance at the beginning of modern times. A central question will be why Muslims have had a deep affect against the West and why Islamic fundamentalism ultimately fails more because of its internal contradictions than because of the resistance of its opponents. And Schweizer is convinced that the integration of Muslim immigrants in Europe is possible in spite of unresolved conflicts.

The second fundamental topic of his non-fiction books is the confrontation with India and China . Schweizer poses the question of whether India and China can actually succeed in becoming a major challenge for the West in the 21st century, despite serious domestic political tensions. And it shows that it is more difficult for Europeans to understand the complete otherness of India and China adequately than the culture of Islam (which is spiritually related to the West). The intellectual confrontation with foreign cultures, says Schweizer, has made him see his own culture with different eyes. Because a comparative view makes it possible to reassess the strengths and weaknesses of the West.

Schweizer is on the road as a non-fiction author in Asia and North Africa - it's a journey to the outside world. With his 2018 novel Unrest. A youth's story is followed by a journey inward. This developmental novel about a young person from the 1950s and 1960s depicts the awakening, excitement and aversion of his generation to anything that is only authoritarian. It is the examination of the psychological conflicts of those "leaden times" that ended in the 1968s.

Fonts

• Peasant novel and fascism. On the ideological criticism of a literary genre. (Tübingen Association for Folklore, 42nd volume). 1976.
• New actor leader. From Greek tragedy to experimental theater. 1978, ISBN 3-570-00979-3 .
• The Janissaries. Secret power of the Turkish Empire. 1979, ISBN 3-7023-0098-8 .
• The dervishes. Saints and heretics of Islam. 1980, ISBN 3-7023-0111-9 .
• The Berbers. A people between religion and conformity. 1981, ISBN 3-7023-0123-2 .
• Persia. Culture hub. 1983, ISBN 3-430-18226-3 .
• Inside picture of a family. Novel. 1983, ISBN 3-88897-004-0 .
• Turning away from the West, Eastern traditions against Western civilization. 1986, ISBN 3-455-08648-9 .
• Time bomb city. The global crisis in metropolitan areas. 1987, ISBN 3-608-93126-0 .
• The others are always unbelievers. World religions between tolerance and fanaticism. 1990, ISBN 3-608-93150-3 .
• Iran, the hub between East and West. 1991, ISBN 3-608-93169-4 .
• Tourists and dream dancers. A travel book. 1992, ISBN 3-608-93166-X .
• India. A continent in upheaval. 1995, ISBN 3-608-91410-2 .
• Syria. Religion and Politics in the Middle East. 1998, ISBN 3-608-93396-4 .
• India and China. Asian ways into the global age. 2001, ISBN 3-608-91975-9 .
• Islam and the West. History of an ongoing conflict. 2003, ISBN 3-608-96008-2 .
• Metropolis - Moloch - Myth. A journey through the megacities of India. 2004, ISBN 3-608-93517-7 .
• The unknown Islam. Sufism - the religious challenge. 2007, ISBN 978-3-608-94451-8 .
• Turkey - the ultimate test between Islam and nationalism. 2008, ISBN 978-3-608-94112-8 .
• An unknown Islam. Foreword in: Nedim Gürsel: Seven Dervishes. Anatolian legends. 2008, ISBN 978-3-458-17401-1 .
• Pilgrimage sites of the world religions. On a journey of discovery between tradition and modernity. With a foreword by Karl-Josef Kuschel. 2011, ISBN 978-3-8436-0069-9 .
• My heart is open to every form. A journey into the mysticism of the Sufis and dervishes. 2014, ISBN 978-3-451-06660-3 .
• Understand Syria. History, society and religion. 2015. ISBN 978-3-608-94908-7 .
• Understand islam. History, culture and politics. 2016. ISBN 978-3-608-10067-9 .
• Understand Turkey. From Ataturk to Erdogan. 2016. ISBN 978-3-608-96201-7 .
• Understand Iran. History, society, religion . 2017. ISBN 978-3-608-98101-8 .
• Restlessness. Story of a youth . 2018. ISBN 978-3-863-514761 .

Web links

• Literature by and about Gerhard Schweizer in the catalog of the German National Library
• Interview with Gerhard Schweizer: "Allegations of Islamism against the AKP are unrealistic"