KELLER, Gottfried, the best writer of short stories (Novelle») in German literature: b. Zurich, Switzerland, 19 July 1819: d. there, 17 July 1890. His fattier was a lathe-worker from Glattfelden (1791-1824) ; his mother's maiden name was Sdheuchzer (1787-1864). After his father's death, Keller's family lived in constant poverty, and, because of his dif ficulties with his teachers, in continual disagree !tient with school authorities. Keller later gave a good rendering of his experiences in this per iod in his long novel, 'Der griine Heinrich' (1850-55; 2d version, 1879). His mother seems to have brought him up in as carefree a condi tion as possible, sparing for him from her scanty meals, and allowing him the greatest possible liberty in the disposition of his time, the choice of a calling, etc. With some changes, a treatment of her relations to him may be found in his short story, 'Frau Regel Amrain und hhlr jfingster> (in the collection 'Die Leute von After numerous unsuccesfful attempts to find a good teacher of painting, which was Keller's first passion, in his native town, he went to Munich in 1840 to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. But he soon rec ognized that painting was not for him and spent six years at Zurich in almost total inactivity (1842-48), inclining strongly toward radicalism in politics, but subject to much temptation and sef-indulgence. In 1848 he went to Heidelberg to pursue serious studies, coming under the in fluence of the philosopher Feuerbach and ex tending his radicalism also to matters of reli gion. But it was chiefly his stay in Berlin (1850-56) which molded Keller's character into its final shape, toned down his rather bitter pessimism to a more moderate form and pre pared him (not without the privations of hun-, ger), in the whirl of a large city, for an enjoy ment of the more restricted pleasures of his native Ziirich. It was in Berlin that he turned definitely away from other pursuits and took up literature as a career. In this period fall griine Heinrich> and the first collection of Leute von Seldwylad (five stories averaging 60 pages each: 'Pankraz der Schmoller,> 'Frau Regel Amrain und ihrjungsterd drei gerechten Kammacher,''Romeo und Julie auf dem Dorfe,' 'Spiegel das Katzchen'). 'Der griine Heinrich' is the most personal of all his works; under the influence of i. J. Rousseau's doctrine of a return to nature, this book, at first intended as a short narrative of the col lapse of the life of a young artist, expanded, as its composition progressed, into a huge work that treats, in poetically transfigured manner, all the events in Keller's life up to his return to Zurich in 1842. Its reception by the literary world was cool, but the later version (1879) is a rounded and satisfying artistic product 'Die Leute von Seldwyle includes at least two stories that are immortal; 'Die drei gerechten Kammacher,' the most satyric and scorching attack on the sordid petit bourgeois morality ever penned by any writer, and 'Romeo und Julie auf dem Dorfed one of the most pathetic tales in literature (Shakespeare's plot in a Swiss village setting). In 1861 Keller became city registrar (Staatsschreiber) of Zilrich. The routine duties of this position were a sort of fixed point about which his artistic activities could revolve, but he produced little of per manent value in these years. After 15 years at this post he was retired in 1876, and began a period of literary activity that was to last to his death, living the life of an old bachelor with his sister Regula as his housekeeper. In spite of his often unsympathetic manner, his extreme reserve and idiosyncrasy in dealing with others, he had gained the affection of his fellow-townsmen and an almost universal rep utation before his death.
His fame is based chiefly on 15 short stories, the five mentioned above, the five contained in the second volume of 'Die Leute von Seldwyl& (1874) ; 'Die missbrauchten Liebesbriefe,' 'Der Schmied seines Gliicksd 'Kleider machen Leute,' 'Das verlorene and five in (Ziiricher Novelle& (1878) 'Der Narr auf Maneggd 'Der Landvogt von 'Das Fahnlein der sieben Aufrech ten,> The milieu is always that of an orderly bourgeois existence, within which the most manifold Luman destinies, the most humorous relations are progressing, the most peculiar and hardy types of endurance and ret icence being formed. Some of the stories con tain a note that is new in German literature, that has endeared them particularly to Ger mans, as embodying an ideal as yet unrealized in their own country; they narrate the develop ment of character under the relatively free con ditions of little Switzerland, picturing an un bureaucratic civic life and an independence of business initiative that cannot but attract those who have been denied these privileges. As short stories, they cannot compare with Mau passant's or Thomas Mann's for artistic con struction; they resemble those of Henry James chiefly in complexity and wealth of detail, not in sophistication and elegance; but they deal intimately and understandingly, often by.carica ture and exaggeration, with the motives of plain middle class persons, or those on the lower fringe of the middle class und Julie auf dem Dorfe)). Physical description of a painfully detailed, yet entrancing variety, is their chief external grace: pages are devoted to the portrayal of the tiled stove (Dietegets) or a cheap cabinet (Kammacher). Keller's most mature collection of short stories is Sinngedicht,' containing (Die acme 'Der Geisterseherd 'Don Correa,' 'Berlocken> (1882). In the form of what the Germans call Rahmenerziihlune framework story, stories wit'ain a story), it unites a continuous narrative with a number of interposed, independent tales, a device of which Boccaccio is the most illustrious exponent, and which German writers have consciously der veloped to a high degree of perfection. Die 4ieben Legenden> (1872, containing Jungfrau und der Teufel,' 'Die Jungf ran und der Ritter,' Tanzlegendchen,' etc.) is a similar collection, in which the author has adopted his merry art of narrative to an ecclesi astical outline. His last work is 'Martin Sean der,' in which his creative and descriptive powers seem no longer at their full height. It is the old opposition of the risen and the rising generation, in his usual Swiss setting.
The sigriificance of family life and the rela tion of the individual to society are well put. By German critics, Keller is also placed very high as a lyric poet. (See DER GRUNE HEIN RICH). • The 'German Classics' (Vol. XIV, New York 1914) has translations of 'A Village Romeo and Juliet,' The Governor of Grei fenseed 'The Company of the Upright Seven,' 'Ursula.> with 'Life of Keller' by J. A. Walz. Cohsult 'Werke (10 vols., Stuttgart 1909); 'Nachgelassene Schriften und Dichtungen' (Berlin 1893) • Hauch, Edward F., Keller as a Democratic Idealist' (New York 1916) ; Baechtold, ' Jakob, 'Gottfried Kellers Lehen, Briefe, und Tagebiicher' (3 vols., Stutt gart and Berlin 1894-97); Baechtold, .Bibliographie> (Berlin 1897); Baldensperger, Fernand, 'Gottfried Keller, sa vie et ses oeuvres) (Paris 1899); Huch, Ricarda, 'Gottfried Keller' (Ber1M n.d.); Kiister, Albert, 'Gottfried Kel ler' (Leipzig 1907) ; Kiister, 'Der Brief wechsel zwischen Theodor Storm und Gottfried Keller' (Berlin 1909).