Kurt Marti

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurt Marti (born January 31, 1921 in Bern ; † February 11, 2017 there ) was a Swiss Protestant Reformed pastor and writer .

Life

Kurt Marti was born in 1921 as the son of a notary . He had a brother, Hans Marti, who was a few years older than him.

Marti attended the Free High School in Bern with Friedrich Dürrenmatt . He then completed two semesters at the law faculty of the University of Bern before deciding to study Protestant theology . He pursued this first at the University of Bern, then (1945–1946) at the University of Basel , where he was shaped by Karl Barth . In the winter semester of 1943/44 he was president, then actuary of the Concordia student association .

In 1947/1948 Marti worked for the World Council of Churches as a prisoner of war pastor in Paris for one year . After college degree and the ordination he was a minister in the Bernese Rohrbach BE and 1949 pastor in Leimiswil . In 1950 he married Hanni Morgenthaler from Langenthal. In the following years, the marriage gave birth to three sons - including the journalist and writer Lorenz Marti - and a daughter. From 1950 to 1960 Marti was a pastor in Niederlenz . Motivated by Max Rychner and Jörg Steiner , and also to avoid a midlife crisis , he began to write newspaper articles, poems and stories there, also in Swiss German . The volume of poetry Rosa Loui. Vierzg poem ir Bärner colloquial language (1967) caused a sensation. “Modern Swiss dialect poetry, from Beat Sterchi to Guy Krneta or Pedro Lenz , would be inconceivable without these poems by Kurt Martis.” Since the 1970s, prose volumes have also been written.

From 1961 to 1983 he was pastor at the Nydegg Church in Bern. He was involved in the fight against nuclear weapons , nuclear power plants , the US intervention in Vietnam and was a co-founder of the development organization, the Declaration of Bern, as well as the dissident group of authors Olten, which was dissolved in 2002 . After Karl Barth , he was most theologically inspired by Dorothee Sölle , whom he had known since the 1960s.

In 1972 the government council of the canton of Bern refused him a professorship for homiletics at the Protestant theological faculty of the University of Bern for political reasons , although he had been proposed for election. Marti saw this as an honor; the honorary doctorate awarded to him by the university in 1977 as a small revenge. Since 1983 he has worked as a freelance writer. In 2007 his wife Hanni Marti-Morgenthaler died.

In his sermons and essays, poems and aphorisms, Marti proves to be a committed and critical writer. Some of his texts were set to music as " new spiritual songs ". With the autobiographical book Ein Topf voll Zeit 1928–1948 he published his last work in 2008, according to his own statement. During the autumn conference of the Ecumenical Organization, Mission and Development Cooperation (OeME) of the Reformed Churches in Bern-Jura-Solothurn, he explained in a conversation with Albert Rieger how his text "A Post-Apostolic Confession" came about . This text first appeared in the volume Abendland: Gedichte (p. 92), in 1980 by Luchterhand-Verlag.

Kurt Martis Vorlass has been in the Swiss Literary Archives in Bern since 2006 .

Awards and honors

Works (selection)

Kurt Marti's poem In us, life circles on the path of reflection on the Great Castle Hill , Bad Harzburg

Poetry

  • Boulevard bikini . Poems; Woodcuts by Willy Leiser. Vorstadtpresse, Biel 1959.
  • Republican poems. Tschudy, St. Gallen 1959.
    • extended new edition: Luchterhand, Neuwied 1971.
  • Paraburi: A cluster of languages. Zytglogge, Bern 1972.
  • Rosa Loui. Vierzg poem ir Bärner colloquial language. Luchterhand, Neuwied (first edition 1967) 1974.
  • Undereinisch: Poem in Bärner colloquial language. Luchterhand, Darmstadt and Neuwied 1973, ISBN 3-472-86335-8 .
  • Poems, Alfabeete & Cymbal Sound. Fietkau, Berlin (first edition 1966) 1974, ISBN 3-87352-011-7 .
  • Poems in the margin. Niggli, Teufen (first edition 1963) 1974, ISBN 3-7212-0026-8 .
  • Nature is often a postcard: poems, texts, quotations. Lenos, Basel 1976, ISBN 3-85787-034-6 .
  • Nancy Neujahr & Co. Braun, Leverkusen 1976, ISBN 3-88097-028-9 .
  • Bärndütschi love poem. Benteli, Bern 1979, ISBN 3-7165-0327-4 .
  • Sea poems Alpine poems. Fietkau, Berlin (first edition 1975) 1980, ISBN 3-87352-028-1 .
  • The revolt of God against the Lord: 31 poems and 23 pictures on the subject of passion. With Georg Gessler . Radius, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-87173-604-X .
  • Again today: selected poems 1959–1980. Luchterhand, Darmstadt 1984, ISBN 3-472-61417-X .
  • For a world without fear: reports, stories, poems. Hammer, Wuppertal 1986, ISBN 3-87294-277-8 .
  • Occident: poems. Luchterhand, Darmstadt and Neuwied 1984, ISBN 3-472-86518-0 .
  • The violinist from Brig. Helvetic poems of jubilation. Lenos, Basel 1991, ISBN 3-85787-207-1 .
  • There goes existence: poems. Luchterhand, Hamburg 1993, ISBN 3-630-86819-3 .
  • Name with moon: poems. Nagel & Kimche, Frauenfeld 1996, ISBN 3-312-00224-9 .
  • Who did the man mean? Poems and prose texts. Reclam, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-15-008636-1 .
  • My barefoot praise. Luchterhand, Darmstadt and Neuwied 1998, ISBN 3-374-00780-5 .
  • Small time revue: narrative poems. Nagel & Kimche, Zurich 1999, ISBN 3-312-00257-5 .
  • The dream of being born: selected poems. Nagel & Kimche, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-312-00319-9 .
  • Funeral speeches. German Paperback, Munich (first edition 1969) 2004, ISBN 3-423-13267-1 .
  • Zoé Zebra: new poems. Nagel & Kimche, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-312-00347-4 .
  • God Gerneklein: Poems. Radius, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-87173-356-3 .
  • Patience and revolt: the poems in the margin. Radius, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-87173-921-7 .

Prose and essays

Theological texts

  • Dialogue between Christ and Marxist. A conversation (with Konrad Farner ). The text for the film by Richard Dindo ; Publishing Cooperative, Zurich 1972.
  • Border traffic: a Christian in dealing with culture, literature and art. Neukirchener, Neukirchen-Vluyn 1976, ISBN 3-7887-0490-X .
  • "Man is not there for Christianity". A dispute about God and the world between a Christian and an agnostic. (with Robert Mächler ). Lutherisches Verlagshaus, Hamburg 1977, ISBN 3-7859-0425-0 .
  • Inquiry into God: 1. John today. Radius, Stuttgart 1983, ISBN 3-87173-620-1 .
  • The Gospel of Mark interpreted for the congregation. Jordan, Zurich (first edition 1967) 1985, ISBN 3-906561-03-8 .
  • Delicate and precise. Reflections, stories, poems, sermons. Evangelical Publishing House, Berlin 1985.
  • The social deity. A discourse. Radius, Stuttgart 1989.
  • Ally God: Attempts at Exodus 1–14. Jordan, Zurich (first edition 1972), 1992, ISBN 3-906561-25-9 .
  • Laughing, crying, loving: encouragement to live. Radius, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-87173-699-6 .
    • reissued as: So that man finally becomes what he could be. Benziger, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-545-24116-5 .
      • republished as: Where to get an ethic from ?: Discussion about reason and belief. Nagel & Kimche, Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-312-00293-1 .
  • Memories of the GDR and some of its Christians. Jordan, Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-906561-29-1 .
  • Ecclesiastical Solomon: Wisdom Amid Globalization. Radius, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-87173-231-1 .
  • The Psalms: Approaches. Radius, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-87173-284-2 .
  • Pious stories. Radius, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-87173-299-0 .
  • Ungrund love: complaints, wishes, songs. Radius, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-87173-301-6 .
  • God in this world. Try to understand. Radius, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-87173-315-6 .

Work edition

  • Selection of works in 5 volumes . Nagel & Kimche, Zurich 1996.

Poetry settings

  • Sometimes we know God's will. 1966 (with Arnim Juhre ), set to music by Felicitas Kukuck 1967 ( EG regional editions Baden-Elsass-Lorraine and Palatinate No. 642; EG regional editions Lower Saxony, Bremen, Oldenburg No. 594; EG regional edition Austria No. 633; ​​EG regional edition Württemberg No. 626)
  • Another Easter song , set to music by Peter Janssens in 1970
  • Heaven that is. 1971, set to music by Winfried Heurich 1980 (EG 153)
  • After visiting the radioactive cloud. 1987, set to music by Reinhard Fehling in 1988
  • Kurt Marti Suite. Setting of the poems Catechism Issues , Hotel Jesus , The Anointing , Easter Morning , Request , Praise , Invocations , Becoming Whole , Beam of Light , Protestant Church Music , Preaching Need and Passing Away , set to music and premiered by Chris Walden for Big Band and Choir 2007
  • Rosa Loui. Four choral songs in 10 versions based on four poems by Kurt Marti, set to music by Heinz Holliger in 2006/2007 . World premiere: September 15, 2009 Lucerne, Franziskanerkirche (CH) Lucerne Festival 2009. Conductor: Heinz Holliger. SWR Vocal Ensemble Stuttgart. Choir master: Denis Comtet.
  • Funeral speeches - oratorio for solos, choir, 2 flutes, 4 percussionists and organ, set to music by Martin Kürschner 1983

literature

  • Pierre Bühler; Andreas Mauz (Ed.): Border traffic. Contributions to the work of Kurt Martis . Wallstein, Göttingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8353-1822-9 .
  • Elisabeth Grözinger: Poetry in preparation for the sermon. On the homiletic reception of literary texts - illustrated using the example of the “Sermon Studies” (1968–1984) with special consideration of Bertolt Brecht , Max Frisch and Kurt Marti. Diss. Mainz 1990
  • Birgit Lönne: Lines of development of German-language poetry in Switzerland from the early fifties to the early eighties. Erika Burkart , Eugen Gomringer , Kurt Marti and Beat Brechbühl as exemplary authors of this development. 1990, OCLC 716751540 (Dissertation University of Leipzig 1989, 133 pages, XXIII, 7 f.).
  • Christof Mauch : Kurt Marti: Texts - Data - Images. Luchterhand, Frankfurt am Main 1991, ISBN 3-630-61897-9 .
  • Christof Mauch: Poetry - Theology - Politics. Studies on Kurt Marti. Niemeyer, Tübingen 1992, ISBN 3-484-18118-4 (Studies on German Literature 118).
  • Ernst Rudolf Rinke: The way comes by walking. Theology and poetry of tenderness with Kurt Marti. Radius, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-87173-800-X .
  • Benz HR Schär: Kurt Marti. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Dietrich Seybold: Kurt Marti . In: Andreas Kotte (Ed.): Theater Lexikon der Schweiz . Volume 2, Chronos, Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-0340-0715-9 , p. 1188 f.
  • Anna Stüssi: Marti, Kurt. In: German Literature Lexicon . Biographical-bibliographical manual. 3rd, completely revised edition. Volume 10: Luzius - Myß. Edited by Heinz Rupp and Carl Ludwig Lang. Francke, Bern 1986, columns 482-484.

Web links

Wikiquote: Kurt Marti  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Writer and pastor - Kurt Marti passed away. Radio SRF 4 News , February 11, 2017, accessed on February 12, 2017.
  2. ^ Kurt Marti: Inventory of his archive in the Swiss Literature Archive: On the life and work of the author . Inventory prepared by Lukas Dettwiler, 2007; Swiss Literature Archive , accessed on February 12, 2017. Self-testimony by Kurt Marti on the occasion of the 1997 Kurt Tucholsky Prize for Literary Journalism. Kurt Tucholsky Society, Berlin, 1997.
  3. ↑ a b Roman Bucheli: Poetry is work on the future. The pastor and writer Kurt Marti died at the age of 96 and left behind an important work. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of February 11, 2017, p. 31.
  4. ↑ Jürg Altwegg : Dialect. On the death of Kurt Marti . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of February 13, 2017, p. 12.
  5. ↑ See: Kurt Marti: For example: Bern 1972. S. 37 and 111.
  6. ↑ Annelen Ottermann: Do not give in before death. Post-Easter thoughts in memory of the theologian and poet Kurt Marti. In: Evangelische Sonntags-Zeitung of the EKHN of May 21, 2017, p. 7.
  7. ↑ Inspired. Persevering. Level-headed. Portrait. (pdf, 5.5 MB) reformed. 5/2011, April 29, 2011, p. 9 , accessed on February 12, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Literature Awards 2010 of the Canton of Bern. Education Department of the Canton of Bern, archived from the original on February 13, 2011 ; accessed on February 12, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Schiller Prizes 2011 . ( Memento of October 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Swiss Schiller Foundation, accessed on February 12, 2017.
  10. ↑ Chris Walden Big Band & The St. John's Choir Kurt Marti Suite (Origin 82482) . Origin Records , with links to reviews in jazz magazines, accessed February 12, 2017.
  11. ↑ Rosa Loui . Schott Music, accessed February 12, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Marti, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss pastor and writer
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH February 11, 2017
Place of death Bern