In the few days since Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler’s unexpected death of a
pulmonary embolism, one thing has become clear in Vienna: Here, as in
the rest of Austria, all literary and cultural roads led to him. In the
Department of German at the University of Vienna, of which
Dr. Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler
Professor
Schmidt-Dengler was the chair, one assistant professor spoke of an
“implosion”; co-workers and administrators stare at each other
wordlessly or pass one another with downcast eyes. The silence in the
university halls stands in stark contrast to the public discourse
generated by and around the renowned literary critic. The media have
rushed to honor the telegenic and congenial professor, a frequent guest
on public radio and television channels. In the many newspaper
obituaries and Internet postings that have appeared since Sunday,
September 7, people have repeatedly stressed Schmidt-Dengler’s seminal
role in the cultural landscape of the post-war period. Since the
Zagreb-born Germanist began his career at the university in the
mid-sixties, he has revolutionized the way Austrians think about their
culture. In expanding their view of the canon, he has exerted an
influence beyond the country’s borders. Indeed, the most recent prize
he garnered was the “Preis der Kritik,” or “Critics Prize,” to be
awarded at the upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair. Ninety-nine bottles of
wine and a collected edition of Heinrich Heine were to go to
Schmidt-Dengler for his cultural mediation – a maverick’s books for a
fellow non-conformist.
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