Literature

Robert Musil 1880-1942

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