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Heinz Schlaffer (21 June 1939 – 31 October 2023) was a German Germanist and Professor of Literary Science of the University of Stuttgart. He was best known for essays like "Die kurze Geschichte der deutschen Literatur" (The Short History of German Literature).[1]
Heinz Schlaffer was born in Černošín on 21 June 1939. He received his first Literary Science Professorship at the Philipp's University – Marburg and changed to Stuttgart in 1975. He held a teaching position in that town from 1975 until his emeritus in 2004.
Schlaffer published numerous books, among others about Lyrik im Realismus (Poetry in Realism), Der Bürger als Held (The Townspeople as Heroes), aesthetic histories, Goethe's Faust, Poesie und Wissen (Poetry and Knowledge), besides scientific writings like essays and literary criticisms in Tageszeitung.
Schlaffer died on 31 October 2023, at the age of 84.[2]
"Pointierte Urteile und sprachliche Eleganz, Kürze und Würze sind typische Merkmale seiner Bücher, die keinen akademischen Jargon benötigen." (Trenchant opinions and linguistic elegance, short and sweet and the typical characteristics of his books which need no academic jargon.)
Alexander Camman in the Tageszeitung (Taz) on April 5, 2008