Annemarie Schwarzenbach
| Annemarie Schwarzenbach | |
|---|---|
© Marianne Feilchenfeldt-Breslauer († 2001)
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| Born |
Annemarie Minna Renée Schwarzenbach 23 May 1908 Zurich, Switzerland |
| Died | 15 November 1942 (aged 34) Sils im Engadin/Segl |
| Nationality | Swiss, after 1935 French |
| Other names | Annemarie Clarac / Clark |
| Occupation | writer, journalist, photographer |
Annemarie Minna Renée Schwarzenbach (23 May 1908 – 15 November 1942) was a Swiss writer, journalist, photographer and traveler.
Annemarie Schwarzenbach was born in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. When she was four, the family moved to the Bocken Estate in Horgen, near Lake Zurich, where she grew up. Her father, Alfred, was a wealthy businessman in the silk industry. Her mother, Renée, the daughter of a Swiss general and descended from German aristocracy, was a prominent hostess, horsewoman and amateur photographer.
From an early age she began to dress and act like a boy, a behaviour not discouraged by her parents, and which she retained all her life. In fact in later life she was often mistaken for a young man.
At her private school in Zurich she studied only German, history and music, and liked dancing, but her heart was set on becoming a writer. She studied in Zürich and Paris, and earned her doctorate in history at the University of Zurich at the age of 23. She started writing while still a student. Shortly after completing her studies she published her first novel Freunde um Bernhard (Bernhard's Circle), which was well received.
In 1930 she made contact with Erika Mann (daughter of Thomas Mann). She was fascinated by Erika's charm and self-confidence. A relationship developed, which much to Annemarie's disappointment did not last long (Erika had her eye on another woman: the actress Therese Giehse), although they always remained friends. Still smarting from Erika's rejection, she spent the following years in Berlin. There she found a soul-mate in Klaus, brother of Erika, and settled in with the Manns as an extended family. With Klaus she started using drugs. She led a fast life in the bustling, decadent, artistic city that was Berlin towards the close of the Weimar Republic. She lived in Westend, drove fast cars and threw herself into the Berlin night-life. "She lived dangerously. She drank too much. She never went to sleep before dawn", recalled her friend Ruth Landshoff.
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