Geschlecht und Autorschaft Stefan Zweigs “Künstlernovelle” Brief einer Unbekannten

Brief einer Unbekannten, one of Stefan Zweig’s best-known novellas, is the story of a famous writer who receives a letter from an “unknown” woman who tells him of her unrequited love for him. The reason for the letter is the death of their child. The novella is often cited as an example of Zweig’s psychologically sensitive portrayal of his characters. The aim of this article is to read the novella as a reflection on Zweig’s artistry and authorship, with the category of gender playing a decisive role: The unknown woman herself appears as a writing woman next to the male writer. In light of contemporary gender discourses that shape the constellation of characters and genders in the novella, Brief einer Unbekannten can be read as an expression of Stefan Zweig’s examination of his own authorship. The question of female and male writing thus becomes a question of distinction. This concerns, in no small part, Stefan Zweig’s personal life and that of his wife Friderike, who not only promoted her husband’s career but was also herself a writer.