Chronology
1880
Robert Musil is born in Klagenfurt on November 6
1892-97
Attends a military boarding school in preparation for his career in the army
1897
Begins his studies at the Technical Military Academy in Vienna but decides to change careers and switches to the German Technical University in Brno to become an engineer
1901
Graduates from the Technical University
1903
Begins his studies in philosophy, psychology, mathematics, and physics in Berlin
1906
Die Verwirrungen des Zögling Törless is published
1908
Completes his dissertation entitled Beitrag zu Beurteilung der Lehren Machs
1909
Declines the offer to work as an assistant at the university, instead decides to concentrate on writing
1911
Marries the painter Martha Marcovaldi, takes up the position as a librarian at the Technical University in Vienna
1914-18
During WW I Musil first joins the army but due to serious illness he subsequently works as a journalist for the Südtiroler Soldatenzeitung and Heimat
1923
Receives the Kleist-Preis
1924
Publishes Drei Frauen
1927
Gives a speech on the occasion of Rainer Maria Rilke’s death in Berlin
1930
Publishes the first two parts of Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften
1932
The Musil Society is founded in order to help Musil finish the third part of Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften since Musil lives in abject poverty
1938
Musil emigrates to Switzerland in order to protect his Jewish wife from the National Socialists
1942
Musil dies of a stroke on April 15. Until the very end he is preoccupied with Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften which he leaves unfinished