Johannes Mario Simmel
Johannes Mario Simmel was an Austrian author and playwright, born on April 7, 1924, in Vienna. He initially studied chemistry and worked as a chemist before transitioning into writing and journalism. Simmel gained experience in various roles, including interpreter for the U.S. government in Vienna and chief reporter for Quick magazine in Germany. His literary career gained momentum after winning a national theater prize in 1960 for his play "Der Schulfreund," which led him to focus exclusively on creative writing from 1963 onward.
Simmel was known for addressing contemporary social issues in his works, such as the resurgence of Nazism, the challenges faced by the lost generation, and topics like mental disabilities and addiction. His ability to connect with a diverse readership contributed to his international success, with his books translated into over 25 languages and adapted for film. Simmel's contributions to literature were recognized with various awards, including the Kulturpreis der Deutschen Freimaurer and the Goldene Ehrenzeichen from the City of Vienna. He spent part of his later life in Cannes and Monte Carlo before settling in Zug, Switzerland. His original works are preserved in the Mergar Memorial Library at Boston University, highlighting his lasting impact on literature.
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Johannes Mario Simmel
- Born: April 7, 1924
- Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
- Died: January 1, 2009
- Place of death: Switzerland
Biography
Johannes Mario Simmel was born on April 7, 1924, in Vienna, Austria, to chemist Walter Simmel and teacher Helena Schneider Simmel. He spent his childhood in Austria and England. Simmel studied chemistry at the Political Science and Research Institute in Vienna, and he worked as a chemist between 1944 and 1945. He then was an interpreter and translator for the United States government in Vienna for two years and began writing stories and reviews for a daily newspaper in Vienna, Welt am Abend.
Simmel edited and reported for several Austrian and German newspapers from 1947 to 1960 and began writing screenplays in 1950. That year, he moved to Germany, where he was a ghostwriter and chief reporter for Quick magazine, based in Munich, from 1951 to 1961. Simmel later lived in Berlin and Hamburg.
In 1960, his play Der Schulfreund won first prize from the Manheim National Theatre. In 1963, he decided to devote himself solely to his creative writing, and he received additional awards for his work in subsequent years. He was presented the Kulturpreis der Deutschen Freimaurer for his novel Wir heissen euch hoffen (1980); the City of Vienna awarded him the Goldene Ehrenzeichen in 1985; and he earned numerous accolades and awards for his screenplays. Simmel resided in Cannes and Monte Carlo between 1972 and 1983, and then settled in Zug, Switzerland.
Simmel described himself as an analyst of his times and was well known for writing about current issues, including the revival of Nazism, the lost generation, mentally disabled children, and drug addiction and alcoholism. He sought to attract a wide range of readers, from the lower-class workers to the wealthy, and credited his international success to this all- encompassing attitude. Simmel’s books were translated into more than twenty-five languages in almost thirty countries and many of his works were adapted as films. Mergar Memorial Library of Boston University houses a collection of his original works.