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    1881

  • Vienna, 28 November 1881

    Stefan Zweig is born the second son of Ida and Moriz Zweig at 14, Schottenring.
  • 1892

  • Vienna, April 1892

    After completing elementary school at Werdertorgasse, Stefan Zweig attends the Maximilian-Gymnasium (now known as the Gymnasium Wasagasse) for the next eight years.
  • 1895

  • Vienna, 1895

    The Zweig family moves to an apartment at 17, Rathausstrasse.
  • 1897

  • Vienna, 10 March 1897

    The 15-year-old Stefan Zweig writes his earliest still extant letter, addressed to the novelist Georg Ebers.
  • 1900

  • Vienna, 3 October 1900

    Stefan Zweig enrols at the University of Vienna to read philosophy and the history of literature.
  • 1901

  • Berlin, April 1901

    Silberne Saiten (Strings of Silver), a volume of poetry comprising 61 poems by Stefan Zweig, is published by Schuster & Loeffler.
  • Westerwede near Bremen, June 1901

    In appreciation of having received a presentation copy of Silberne Saiten, Rainer Maria Rilke sends Stefan Zweig a personally inscribed copy of his own poetry collection, Frühling.
  • 1902

  • Berlin, 8 April 1902

    For his fourth semester, Stefan Zweig enrols at the Friedrich-Wilhelms University (now the Humboldt University) in Berlin.
  • Brussels, August 1902

    Stefan Zweig first meets the Belgian poet Émile Verhaeren, then makes a journey to Paris.
  • 1904

  • Vienna, 7 April 1904

    Zweig submits his doctoral thesis on The Philosophy of Hippolyte Taine.
  • Vienna, 19 April 1904

    Zweig is awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
  • Berlin, October 1904

    Stefan Zweig’s book Die Liebe der Erika Ewald is published by Egon Fleischel & Co. The volume contains the novellas Die Liebe der Erika Ewald (The Love of Erika Ewald), Der Stern über dem Walde (The Star Above the Forest), Die Wanderung (The Journey), and Die Wunder des Lebens (The Miracles of Life).
  • 1906

  • April through August 1906

    A visit to London, with excursions to Oxford, York, and Oban (Scotland). Zweig stops at Liège and Brussels on the journey out, and at Berlin on the return.
  • Leipzig, November 1906

    Die frühen Kränze (Early Wreaths) appears, Zweig’s first book to be published by Insel Verlag, containing 49 poems.
  • Vienna, 17 November 1906

    For Die frühen Kränze, Zweig is awarded an honorary gift as one of several recipients of the Bauernfeld Prize.
  • 1907

  • Vienna, 1 February 1907

    Zweig moves into his first own apartment at 8, Kochgasse.
  • 1908

  • Leipzig, March 1908

    The play Tersites, printed in 1907, is distributed to booksellers by Insel Verlag.
  • Early December 1908 through end of March 1909

    Zweig sets out from Trieste on a voyage to India, Burma (now Myanmar), and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Return voyage on the steamer Lützow via Italy to France; stopping at Paris.
  • 1911

  • Paris, 20 through 21 February 1911

    First meeting with Romain Rolland.
  • 22 February through 21 April 1911

    Departs from Cherbourg for New York City on the passenger steamer S.S. St. Paul. Subsequent visits to Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Chicago as well as to Canada, Bermuda, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Panama.
  • Leipzig, November 1911

    A volume of short stories, Erstes Erlebnis. Vier Geschichten aus Kinderland (First Experience: Four Stories from the Land of Childhood), is published by Insel Verlag. It contains: Geschichte in der Dämmerung (A Story Told in Twilight), Die Gouvernante (The Governess), Brennendes Geheimnis (Burning Secret), and Sommernovellette (A Summer Novella).
  • 1912

  • Leipzig, 12 July 1912

    The first volumes of the Insel-Bücherei series, in the conception of which Zweig had a part, are distributed.
  • Vienna, 23 September 1912

    Stefan Zweig first meets his future wife, the novelist Friderike von Winternitz.
  • 1914

  • Sarajevo, 28 June 1914

    The Austro-Hungarian heir presumptive Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated.
  • 14 July 1914

    Trip to Marienbad and then on to Le Coq near Ostend in Belgium.
  • 28 July 1914

    Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia; beginning of the First World War.
  • 30 July 1914

    Stefan Zweig returns from Belgium to Vienna by train.
  • Vienna, 1 December 1914

    Zweig commences his military service at the War Archives in the Stiftskaserne barracks.
  • 1915

  • 14 through 26 July 1915

    Mission to the Galician theatre of war.
  • 1916

  • Kalksburg, April 1916

    Zweig takes lodgings in Kalksburg near Rodaun, on the outskirts of Vienna, where Friderike von Winternitz lives with her two daughters, Alix and Suse.
  • 1917

  • 27 October 1917

    Buys villa in Salzburg at 5, Kapuzinerberg.
  • 13 November 1917

    Visits Zurich with Friderike von Winternitz. Previously given leave from military service for two lectures. Subsequent work as newspaper correspondent in Switzerland.
  • 1918

  • Zurich, 27 February 1918

    First performance of Zweig’s play Jeremias at the Zurich Municipal Theatre, in the presence of the author.
  • 11 November 1918

    Armistice between the belligerent powers. The conditions of peace will be negotiated at Versailles over the next years.
  • 1919

  • 24 March 1919

    Zweig returns to Austria from Switzerland.
  • Salzburg, May 1919

    Zweig moves into his villa at 5, Kapuzinerberg with Friderike von Winternitz and her two daughters Alix and Suse (by her divorced husband Felix von Winternitz).
  • 1920

  • Vienna, 28 January 1920

    Stefan Zweig marries Friderike von Winternitz by proxy: at the ceremony in the town hall, she is represented by the couple’s common friend, Felix Braun.
  • Leipzig, 17 February 1920

    In the Börsenblatt für den deutschen Buchhandel, the journal of the German book trade, Insel Verlag announces the series Bibliotheca Mundi, to be edited by Stefan Zweig.
  • Leipzig, May 1920

    Insel Verlag publishes Drei Meister (Three Masters), to be promoted as the first volume in the series Die Baumeister der Welt (Master Builders of the World) from 1925 onwards. It contains the essays Balzac, Dickens, and Dostojewski.
  • 1921

  • 22 March through 13 April 1921

    Journey through Italy with Friderike.
  • 1922

  • 20 March through 1 April 1922

    Visit to Paris.
  • Leipzig, October 1922

    Amok: Novellen einer Leidenschaft (Amok: Novellas of a Passion) is published by Insel Verlag. The volume contains Der Amokläufer (Amok), Die Frau und die Landschaft (The Woman and the Landscape), Brief einer Unbekannten (Letter from an Unknown Woman), Phantastische Nacht (Fantastic Night), and Die Mondscheingasse (Moonbeam Alley).
  • 1924

  • Leipzig, March 1924

    Insel Verlag publishes Die gesammelten Gedichte (Collected Poems).
  • 1925

  • Leipzig, April 1925

    Insel Verlag publishes Der Kampf mit dem Dämon (The Struggle With the Daemon) as the second volume of Die Baumeister der Welt, containing the essays Hölderlin, Heinrich von Kleist, and Friedrich Nietzsche.
  • 4 through 14 June 1925

    Journey via Munich to Leipzig. Zweig meets Romain Rolland at the German Handel Festival, then together they travel onwards to Weimar, where they visit the Nietzsche Archive and Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche. Return to Salzburg via Dresden, Reichenberg, and Vienna.
  • 1926

  • Vienna, 2 March 1926

    Stefan Zweig’s father Moriz Zweig dies, aged 80.
  • Leipzig, September 1926

    Insel Verlag publishes Verwirrung der Gefühle, containing the novellas Vierundzwanzig Stunden aus dem Leben einer Frau (Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman), Untergang eines Herzens (Downfall of a Heart), and Verwirrung der Gefühle (Confusion). The first printing is post-dated 1927.
  • Vienna, 6 November 1926

    First performance of Volpone. Eine lieblose Komödie in drei Akten, based on Ben Jonson’s play, at the Burgtheater. Stefan Zweig does not attend.
  • 23 November through 14 December 1926

    Tour of Germany. Reads from his novellas and gives lectures on Romain Rolland in Dresden, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Essen, Cologne, Aachen, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Berlin.
  • 1927

  • Leipzig, October 1927

    Sternstunden der Menschheit. Fünf historische Miniaturen (Decisive Moments in History) is published as volume 165 of the Insel Bücherei series. This first edition contains five historical miniatures: Die Weltminute von Waterloo. Napoleon und Grouchy (The World Minute of Waterloo), Die Marienbader Elegie. Goethe zwischen Karlsbad und Weimar (The Elegy of Marienbad), Die Entdeckung Eldorados. J. A. Suter, Kalifornien (The Discovery of Eldorado), Heroischer Augenblick. Dostojewski, Petersburg Semenowskplatz (Heroic Moment), and Der Kampf um den Südpol. Kapitän Scott, 90. Breitengrad (The Fight for the South Pole).
  • 1928

  • Leipzig, May 1928

    Insel Verlag publishes the third and final volume in the series Master Builders of the World: the collection Drei Dichter ihres Lebens (Three Poets of Their Life), containing the biographical essays Casanova, Stendhal, and Tolstoy.
  • 7 through 20 September 1928

    Visit to Russia on the occasion of the centenary of Leo Tolstoy’s birth. Stefan Zweig records his impressions of the journey in a notebook.
  • 1929

  • Salzburg, 13 May 1929

    First encounter with Joseph Roth.
  • Leipzig, September 1929

    Insel Verlag publishes Joseph Fouché. Bildnis eines politischen Menschen (Joseph Fouché: Portrait of a Politician).
  • Vienna, 13 October 1929

    At the Burgtheater, Stefan Zweig delivers his eulogy in memory of Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who died on 15 July 1929.
  • 1931

  • Leipzig, February 1931

    Insel Verlag publishes Die Heilung durch den Geist (Healing Through the Spirit), containing the essays Franz Anton Mesmer, Mary Baker Eddy, and Sigmund Freud.
  • Munich, 28 November 1931

    Stefan Zweig celebrates his 50th birthday at the Restaurant Schwarz, with Carl Zuckmayer his only guest.
  • Leipzig, November 1931

    Insel Verlag publishes Bibliographie der Werke von Stefan Zweig. Dem Dichter zum 50. Geburtstag dargebracht (a Bibliography of the Works of Stefan Zweig, Presented to the Author on his 50th Birthday), compiled by Fritz Adolf Hünich and Erwin Rieger. It contains several hundred entries of original editions of his books, translations, and essays.
  • 1932

  • Leipzig, October 1932

    Insel Verlag publishes the biography Marie Antoinette: Bildnis eines mittleren Charakters (Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman).
  • 1933

  • Bern, 12 March 1933

    Stefan Zweig reads his poems Der Bildner (The Sculptor) and Hymnus an die Reise (Hymn to Travel) for a Swiss radio broadcast, producing what are today the only extant recordings of his voice.
  • Leipzig, 14 October 1933

    The Börsenblatt für den deutschen Buchhandel publishes without authorization a letter by Stefan Zweig to his publisher Anton Kippenberg, in which he distances himself from the journal Die Sammlung, edited by Klaus Mann. Subsequently, Zweig breaks with Insel Verlag.
  • 20 October through 9 December 1933

    Visit to London, begins work on Maria Stuart, returns via Paris.
  • 1934

  • Salzburg, around 17 February 1934

    Police search Zweig’s Kapuzinerberg villa for stashed weapons of the illegal Republican Protection League. Incensed, Zweig deregisters with the Salzburg authorities and moves to London, renting a flat at 11 Portland Place.
  • London, March or April 1934

    Zweig hires Lotte Altmann, a refugee from Germany, as his secretary.
  • Vienna, end of October 1934

    Triumph und Tragik des Erasmus von Rotterdam (Erasmus) is privately published by Herbert Reichner. The trade edition, post-dated to 1935, appears in December.
  • 1935

  • 10 January through 7 February 1935

    Voyage to New York on the Conte di Savoia, sailing from Nice. In New York, Zweig repeatedly meets with the American publisher Ben Huebsch. Returns 30 January on the S.S. Manhattan, docking at London around 7 February.
  • Vienna, April 1935

    Herbert Reichner Verlag publishes the biography Maria Stuart (The Queen of Scots).
  • Dresden, 24 June 1935

    First performance of Richard Strauss‘ Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman) at the State Opera of Saxony. The libretto is by Stefan Zweig, based on a comedy by Ben Jonson. Due to the Jewish descent of Zweig, who does not attend at Dresden, the opera is banned by the National Socialist government after four performances.
  • 1936

  • London, 12 March 1936

    Zweig relocates to a flat in 49 Hallam Street.
  • Vienna, May 1936

    Herbert Reichner Verlag publishes Castellio gegen Calvin oder Ein Gewissen gegen die Gewalt (The Right to Heresy).
  • 8 August through 6 October 1936

    Voyage from Southampton to Brazil and Argentina on the RMS Alcantara, docking at Vigo and Lisbon. Arrives at Rio de Janeiro 21 August. Several excursions, including to Petrópolis. On 26 August he reads from Der begrabene Leuchter (The Buried Candelabrum) before the Jewish congregation, for the benefit of the European refugees. On 27 August he gives a speech on Die geistige Einheit der Welt (The Spiritual Unity of the World). Continues his journey on 28 August via São Paulo to Santos, from there to Buenos Aires on the Highland Brigade. Participates in the International PEN Congress, lasting from 4 to 14 September. Returns on 16 September on the RMS Almanzora, docking at Southampton on 6 October.
  • 1937

  • Salzburg, 5 through 7 May 1937

    The Kapuzinerberg villa is cleared and prepared for sale.
  • Vienna, November 1937

    Herbert Reichner Verlag publish their last book by Stefan Zweig, Magellan, post-dated to 1938.
  • 26 November through 2 December 1937

    Flies from London to Prague, then travels onwards to Vienna. Last visit to his mother Ida Zweig, also his last visit to Austria. Returns to London via Zurich.
  • 1938

  • 11 through 13 March 1938

    German troops march into Austria in the night of 11/12 March. The "Anschluss", Austria’s annexation to the German Reich, is proclaimed on 13 March.
  • Salzburg, 30 April 1938

    Only public book burning in Austria. Among the books destroyed are works by Stefan Zweig.
  • Vienna, 23 August 1938

    Ida Zweig dies, aged 83 years.
  • Stockholm and Amsterdam, November 1938

    The exile publishers Bermann-Fischer and Allert de Lange publish the German edition of the novel Ungeduld des Herzens (The Impatient Heart), post-dated to 1939.
  • Salzburg, 22 November 1938

    Friderike and Stefan Zweig are divorced at the District Court of Salzburg. Only their lawyers appear at court.
  • 17 December 1938 through 8 March 1939

    Voyage from Southampton to New York City, accompanied by Lotte Altmann. Lecture tour of the USA and Canada, with venues including Philadelphia, Boston, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Toledo, Kansas City, Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Stefan Zweig alternates between the lectures History of tomorrow and The Secret of Artistic Creation . Return to Southampton on the Normandie.
  • 1939

  • London, 12 April 1939, 3:15 p.m.

    Stefan Zweig gives a radio talk for school children in the U.S., broadcast live from England via shortwave.
  • 1 September 1939

    Beginning of the Second World War.
  • Bath, 6 September 1939

    Stefan Zweig and Lotte Altmann are married.
  • Bath, 13 September 1939

    The Zweigs buy Rosemount House.
  • London, 26 September 1939

    Three days after the death of Sigmund Freud, Stefan Zweig delivers his eulogy Worte am Sarge Sigmund Freuds at Golders Green Crematorium.
  • 1940

  • 15 March 1940

    Stefan and Lotte Zweig officially become subjects of the British Crown.
  • 10 through 29 April 1940

    Research and speaking trip to Paris.
  • Paris, 24 April 1940

    Zweig delivers a speech for Radio Paris, Pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas parler .
  • Paris, 26 April 1940

    Zweig delivers a lecture on La Vienne d'hier at the Théâtre Marigny.
  • 25 June through 7 July 1940

    Stefan and Lotte Zweig leave Europe, sailing from Liverpool for New York on the Scythia.
  • 9 through 21 August 1940

    Onward journey from New York to Rio de Janeiro on the S.S. Argentina. Zweig begins research for a book on Brazil.
  • 1941

  • 15 through 23 January 1941

    Plane trip from Rio de Janeiro to New York City via Salvador de Bahia and several Brazilian states.
  • Ossining, NY, 1 through 30 July 1941

    Zweig works on his autobiographical account Die Welt von Gestern (The World of Yesterday) at the rented house 7 Ramapo Road in Ossining, north of New York City.
  • 15 through 27 August 1941

    Returns from New York to Rio de Janeiro on the S.S. Uruguay.
  • Petrópolis, 17 September 1941

    The Zweigs move into a rented house at 34 Rua Gonçalves Dias.
  • Stockholm, November 1941

    Bermann-Fischer Verlag publishes Brasilien. Ein Land der Zukunft (Brazil, Land of the Future).
  • 1942

  • Petrópolis, 21 February 1942

    Zweig sends three corrected typescripts of Schachnovelle (The Royal Game) to the publisher Ben Huebsch at Viking Press, New York, to the translator Alfredo Cahn in Buenos Aires, and to the publisher Gottfried Bermann Fischer in New York. A further typescript copy is retained by Zweig.
  • Petrópolis, 22 February 1942

    Stefan and Lotte Zweig write several farewell letters to family members and friends.
  • Petrópolis, 23 February 1942

    Stefan and Lotte Zweig take their lives together in their home at Petrópolis.
  • Petrópolis, 24 February 1942

    Stefan and Lotte Zweig are given a Jewish-rite funeral at the Catholic cemetery.
  • Stockholm, October 1942

    Bermann-Fischer Verlag publishes Die Welt von Gestern. Erinnerungen eines Europäers (The World of Yesterday) in German.
  • Buenos Aires, December 1942

    The first German-language edition of Schachnovelle (The Royal Game) is published in a limited edition by Pigmalión Verlag.
  • 1946

  • Stockholm, November 1946

    The German first edition of Stefan Zweig’s biography of Balzac, edited by Richard Friedenthal from an unfinished manuscript in Zweig’s posthumous papers, appears at Bermann-Fischer Verlag.