Award-winning Swiss author and scholar Peter von Matt dies aged 87

Swiss writer and former professor of German literature Peter von Matt died on Monday in Zurich at the age of 87, following a long illness. Von Matt’s family informed the German press agency dpa of the news on Tuesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Peter von Matt was born in Lucerne and grew up in Stans in the canton of Nidwalden. He was a professor of modern German literature at the University of Zurich for over two decades. Von Matt was known primarily for his books on literature, which received numerous awards. He received the Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt, the Heinrich Mann Prize, and the Swiss Literature Prize. The late literary critic Marcel Reich-Ranicki once called von Matt the “best writer in German-speaking Switzerland.” In his essays, von Matt commented not only on literature but also on social and political issues. As a result, his books have reached audiences beyond academic circles. “I don't see why literature shouldn't be ...