Franz Innerhofer (born May 2, 1944 in Krimml, Salzburg state; † around January 19, 2002 in Graz)

He became known in 1974 with his autobiographical novel "Schöne Tage"

The author Franz Innerhofer (57) was found dead in his apartment in Graz-Gries on Tuesday. According to the police, foul play can be ruled out. Innerhofer was found dead in his apartment by a craftsman in the morning hours; the 57-year-old may have committed suicide a few days ago.

Innerhofer was born on May 2, 1944 on a mountain farm in Krimml (Salzburg) as the illegitimate child of a farm worker and had to work as a farmhand on his father's farm for eleven years. After an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, Innerhofer attended a high school for working people and studied English and German for a few semesters in Salzburg.

"Schöne Tage" Lovely days

In the 1970s he became known for his autobiographical novel "Schöne Tage", in which he describes his raw childhood and for which he received the Rauriser and the Bremen Literaturpeis in 1975.

His later works could not match the successes of the 1970s. In 1993, the author, who has lived in Graz since 1979, was awarded the Styrian Literature Prize for his entire work.

 

Germain Wikipedia:

Origin
Innerhofer comes from Pinzgau, a mountainous district in the upper Salzach Valley. The social history of this area in the 20th century was shaped by the agricultural crisis in the Austrian mountains from 1900 onwards, when agricultural imports from overseas forced countless small farmers to sell their farms to large farmers. In the course of these developments, a rural subproletariat emerged, which consisted of land workers and day laborers with no property or rights. Innerhofer's environment was characterized by industrious ruthlessness and human brutality in all areas of life. Since agriculture in Pinzgau could only be carried out by men due to the adverse environmental conditions, both world wars affected the region particularly hard.

Innerhofer was also an illegitimate child, which made him an outsider in the Catholic Salzburg region.

Life
As a child and teenager, Innerhofer spent 11 years as a farm labourer on his father's farm in Uttendorf,[1] after which he completed an apprenticeship as a blacksmith. From 1966 he attended a grammar school for working people, then studied German and English language and literature at the University of Salzburg for a few semesters.

He has been a freelance writer since 1973. From 1975, Innerhofer lived in Orvieto (Italy) and in Arni near Zurich. His first autobiographical novel Schöne Tage (1974), in which he describes his harsh childhood, made Innerhofer instantly famous. The novel was widely read and was made into a film by Fritz Lehner in 1982. From 1980, he ran a small bookshop in Graz (3 years)

In September 2001, he was probably seized by severe depression,
which, according to a friend of Innerhofer's, would have necessitated a compulsory hospitalisation.
 He withdrew completely and broke off all contact.

Innerhofer took his own life in 2002; he was found dead in his flat on 22 January. "Franz Innerhofer, who committed suicide after years of bitter poverty and isolation, died not only from the wounds inflicted on him in his childhood in the raw countryside," wrote Karl-Markus Gauss in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, for example, "but also from the cold indifference he encountered in the urban world of 'big words'."

His grave is in the Steinfeld cemetery in Graz.

Literary creation
Innerhofer uncompromisingly based his work on the reality of his own life; The sequence of his texts up to 1980 represents his fight for intellectual independence and a life without fear and coercion.

When literary realism, especially that of the world of work, fell out of fashion in the early 1980s and the political left lost influence, Innerhofer found himself sidelined by the literary public.

In 1993 he attempted a comeback. His work Um die Wette leben was negatively assessed by the literary critic Martin Lüdke and other critics, especially by Sigrid Löffler in Austria. The text is about a life beyond any social adjustment and also formally resists literary classifications. The harsh realism of the early years had become a brooding style of language, at times reminiscent of Thomas Bernhard, which conveyed a frighteningly deep, almost mystical existential insecurity.

Despite alcohol problems, Innerhofer wrote until the end; his last text, The Right Bank of the Mur, which is set in Graz's red light district, has not yet been published; it is characterized by an apathetic wordplay that seems strangely both unforgiving and resigned.

He hurt many people with his behavior, but always sought to blame them the other.

In obituaries he was described as a “difficult personality and tragic existence” as well as an “artistic inspiration”.

 

 

Inner courtyard travel
Apart from his numerous extended stays in Italy, Franz Innerhofer also undertook longer trips to other countries.

Reading tour Türkiye 1983
In March 1983, Franz Innerhofer traveled to Turkey to visit various Turkish universities. The tour was organized by the Austrian Consulate General in Istanbul. The Foreign Ministry covered the travel costs.

Reading tour France 1983
Also in 1983, Franz Innerhofer took part in the presentation of 6 authors from Residenz Verlag Salzburg in France from April 24th to April 29th.

Reading tour Canada 1984
In 1984, Innerhofer undertook a series of lectures through Canada, partly financed by the Foreign Ministry, which took him to the Harbourfront Center in Toronto,

Travel tour to Sri Lanka and India 1985
In 1985 Innerhofer took a trip to Colombo.

Stay in France 1985 He stayed in Paris.

After the death of his father in 1999 , he fought his way through the courts to obtain an inheritance of
300,000 ATS inheritance, which he squandered in Orvieto within three months.

Franz Innerhofer and alcohol

Innerhofer's addiction to alcohol is becoming increasingly worrying
said.
From an early age, drinking was Innerhofer's only option, rigidity
of the parents' house, the discomfort of the sublet rooms, the inhumanity of the
to forget fellow human beings at least temporarily...
claims his biographer Frank Tichy.
Of Innerhofer's frequent visits to taverns (his biographer even speaks of this
tavern living rooms) are evidence of a number of tavern bills in his estate.

 Innerhofer's penchant for alcohol is also reflected in some text fragments,
which are available in the Vienna Library:
TO BE CONTINUED TO BE WRITTEN
Even if I click on or with a finger
typing around on the typewriter and to some extent
I'm drunk, but the writing continues...
Hanni now goes to the already drunk woman
wedding business and greets them
as someone who has always lived with them
and is experienced in dealing with drunk people...

In 2000, Innerhofer's blood work, especially the liver status, already showed clear signs
a major alcohol problem.

Awards
1973 Austrian State Scholarship for Literature
1974 Sandoz Prize for Literature
1975 Rauris Literature Prize
1975 Literature Prize of the City of Bremen
1993 Literature Prize of the State of Styria 1993
1993 Literature Prize of the Salzburg Economy 1993

 

Source: Germain Wikipedia

-

Salzburg Wiki:

 

Life
Born in Krimml in 1944 as the illegitimate son of a farm worker, he spent the first years of his life with foster parents before his biological father brought him back to the farm in Uttendorf at the age of six. He also completed an apprenticeship as a blacksmith in Uttendorf and went to Salzburg in 1966, where he attended the Salzburg evening high school until 1970. After his death, his Matura thesis was published in an annual report from the high school. After graduating from high school, he studied English and German at the University of Salzburg. After dropping out of his studies, Innerhofer worked as a freelance writer from 1973 to 1980, then worked in various jobs, including a small Italian bookstore in downtown Graz.[1]

When the novel Beautiful Days by a then largely unknown author was published in 1974, a new God of lepers suddenly came to earth. With energetic, gripping language, Franz Innerhofer spoke of a dull, aggressive, inhumane rural reality with a pronounced master-slave relationship as an iron law. Innerhofer's ruthless reckoning with the "idyll" of rural life, his criticism of clerical pseudo-morality, his disclosure of all the torments and humiliations he suffered and his uncompromising, harsh choice of words made him the darling of the literary world. Franz Innerhofer was ennobled with the honorary title “Kafka of the Peasants”.

After his successful initial trilogy, Innerhofer tried to change the milieu, the genre and the themes. He received massive criticism for this.

From the Innerhofer biography of his friend Franz Tichy we know that his youth was not quite as bad as portrayed in the autobiographical Schöne Tage. Above all, the relationship with his father's family is said to have been much better than expected.

Many of his works were first published by Salzburger Residenz Verlag.

Innerhofer suffered from severe alcohol problems and depression and voluntarily took his own life in 2002. He was buried with a “second-class social burial” in Graz.

Source: Germain Wikipedia, Salzburg Wiki

After the death of Franz Innerhofer

Ulrich Greiner to Franz Innerhofer:

It's not uncommon for someone to write because they can't live their life any other way. These writers
are only in control of their lives as long as they can be in control of their writing.
Franz Innerhofer [...] was neither the master of his life nor his writing...
Greiner sees Innerhofer's biggest problem as being autobiographical
He couldn't get rid of it, with which he initially had an “uncomprehended, unmastered fate”.
brought paper. When life becomes material, it becomes ever thinner
longer you write. Take the radical step of stopping writing
very few people affected, since this letter was originally intended
own life was saved. “The literary world is cruel in this regard.”

 

Helmuth Fellner's view:
The initial literary fame brought false friends and inauthentic ones
literary companions in his life.

Social funeral second class

Franz Innerhofer was buried on February 4, 2002 as part of a “social funeral
second class” was buried. Art State Secretary Morak, State Councilor for Culture Hirschmann and colleagues such as Alfred also took part in the funeral
Kolleritsch and Reinhard B. Gruber.
Innerhofer's grave was in a rather neglected condition for some time, which is why
the Graz authors' meeting was called into action, which in turn was Graz'
Mayor Siegfried Nagl informed. The grave care should be carried out by the city of Graz

it is now (2012) provided with a gravestone and grave lantern
and looks well cared for.

 

Fritz Krenn, a friend of Franz Innerhofer

Fritz Krenn, a friend of Franz Innerhofer and also an author, planned the event in 2004
Innerhofer's 60th birthday, which Innerhofer did not live to see, was a literary one
Action that he wanted to call “Innerhofer Reading Days”. Authors should have their say
come who either do not dare to approach publishers with their texts or
were rejected. There should be four to five regional lecture venues. The best Contributions from the regions should finally be repeated at the final in Graz
be presented.
Fritz Krenn was very committed to honoring Franz Innerhofer's legacy
hold. The initiative initiated by Fritz Krenn was initiated for the first time in May 2005 in Graz
Franz Innerhofer Prize awarded. That year the prize went to Margit KuchlerD’Aiello. Her text was selected by the four-member jury (Birgit Pölzl from the Minoriten,
Germanist Günther Höfler, Werner Krause from the Kleine Zeitung and Innerhofer
Sister Loni Schmerold) unanimously from eleven texts presented (from numerous
Submissions) awarded. There were intentionally “no high-dollar prizes and also
“no summary judgment by the jury” in order to avoid a comparison with the IngeborgBachmann Prize.
The prize is currently no longer being awarded.

Franz Innerhofer public appearances   1980 - 1999

 

1980

April 14th reading and discussion at the BG and BRG Judenburg
1981
May Kapfenberg Cultural Days 
June 1st reading at the BG for Slovenes in Klagenfurt
June 2nd reading at the elementary school in Feistritz im Rosental
June 23rd to 30th
Workshop “Workshop discussions for young people” in
Kapfenberg, Mitterdorf and Mürzzuschlag including reading on
June 27th in the “Ganzalmhütte” near Mürzzuschlag
December 22nd reading at BG Graz, Seebachergasse
1982
Spring “Carinthian Spring”, Klagenfurt
September 3rd (or 4th) Participation in Club 
October 4th to 7th Frankfurt Book Fair428
October 21st reading at the book exhibition in Zell am See

Oktober Lesung aus „Der Emporkömmling“ in der Buchhandlung Plautz in Gleisdorf

 2. Dezember Lesung mit Literaturgespräch gemeinsam mit Barbara Frischmuth, Gernot Wolfgruber und dem Verleger Wolfgang Schaffler im Funkhaus am Rennweg in Innsbruck

 insgesamt acht Lesungen an Schulen

 1983 23. Februar Lesung mit Gernot Wolfgruber im Forum Stadtpark in Graz 14. bis 25. März Lesungstournee in der Türkei 24. bis 29. April Lesungstournee in Frankreich – Teilnahme an der vom Residenz Verlag veranstalteten Präsentation österreichischer Autoren in Frankreich 4. (oder 5.) Mai Diskussion über die Verfilmung von „Schöne Tage“ im Filmclub Starnberg (Deutschland)

 20. (oder 21.) Mai Lesung und Diskussion in der „Taglachinger Ausflugswirtschaft“

30. Mai bis 1. Juni Tournee mit Lesungen an insgesamt neun Schulen in Tirol

 7. bis 11. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse19. (oder 20.) Oktober Lesung und Diskussion am Gymnasium Schärding439 15. Dezember Lesung aus „Der Emporkömmling“ in der Buchhandlung Breschan, Feldkirchen

1984

20. Jänner Lesung in der Musikschule Deutschlandsberg u.a. aus „Innenansichten eines beginnenden Arbeitstages“ Wochenende

7./8. April „Begegnung mit Autoren“ im Retzhof gemeinsam mit Georg Schmid, Franz Weinzettl, Hannelore Valencak, Felix Philipp Ingold, Ilma Rakusa und Karin Kiwus

 17. bis 21. Mai „Kärntner Frühling“, Klagenfurt 12. (oder 13.) Juni Gemeinschaftslesung in der Alten Schmiede in Wien 10. bis 12. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse 15. Oktober bis 2. November Lesungstournee in Kanada

Lesung zum Thema „Emigration und Exil – Heute. Österreichische Exilliteratur nach 1945?“

gemeinsam mit Alf Schneditz (Mailand), Janko Messner (Klagenfurt/Celovec) und Elfriede Gerstl (Wien) am NIG in Wien, Innerhofer las „Geschichten aus Umbrien“

 insgesamt zwei Lesungen an Schulen

1985

10. Mai Lesung an der BOKU

 10. bis 13. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse

24. Oktober Lesung im Café Mozart in Salzburg aus unveröffentlichten Werken

 Ende Oktober Lesung in der Aula der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz aus „Die großen Wörter“ gemeinsam mit Barbara Frischmuth und Adolf Muschg

7. Dezember Präsentation Lit.mag. (Projekt gangan)

 1986

16. bis 18. April Kärntner Frühling

14. (oder 15.) November Leseabend mit Diskussion im Literarischen Quartier Alte Schmiede in Wien

 17. November Lesung an der Volkshochschule Favoriten, „Innerhofer liest Innerhofer“ zum 40-jährigen Jubiläum der Volkshochschule

 12. Dezember Lesung im Rahmen des Literaturstammtisches im Café Moser, Spittal

Lesung an einer Schule

1987

23. Juni Leseabend im Literaturcafé Leoben

 19. September Lesung in der Stadtbücherei Mürzzuschlag gemeinsam mit Helmut Zenker und Wilhelm Pevny

 3. bis 5. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse

7. Dezember Leseabend zum Georg-Trakl-Gedenkjahr in Salzburg der Gruppe „Transamazonika“ (Alf Schneditz, Ingram Hartinger, Franz Innerhofer, Georg Schmid) vier Lesungen bzw. Vorträge an Schulen

1988

9. Jänner Vortrag von „Der Flickschuster“ im Regionalprogramm von Ö3 im „Steirischen Literaturmagazin mit Literatur aus der Steiermark“

 19. Februar Literaturcafé im Galerietheater in Salzburg; Vorstellung des Nachwuchsliteraten Wolfgang Sigmund durch Franz Innerhofer

22. (oder 23.) März Literatur im März in Wien460 Anfang Mai Lesung im Rahmen der Veranstaltungsreihe „Junge Literatur aus Österreich seit 1980“ in Olmütz, damals ČSSR (weitere Autoren: Barbara Frischmuth, Franz Weinzettl); weiters wurde die Verfilmung von „Schöne Tage“ gezeigt

 7. bis 9. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse

 Anfang Dezember „Generationen“-Lesung mit Gloria Kaiser im Forum in Graz

1989

März Lesung im Haus der Jugend in Graz gemeinsam mit Ruud van Werdenburg

9. bis 11. Oktober Frankfurter Buchmesse

11. bis 14. (oder 12. bis 16.) Dezember

Gemeinsame Lesetournee von Franz Innerhofer und Josef Winkler in Südtirol und Oberitalien (Bozen, Verona, Venedig), Veranstaltungstitel: „Begegnung mit Franz Innerhofer und Josef Winkler, Lesung österrei- [sic!] Gegenwartsautoren“466

1990

14. März Lesung im Katholischen Studentenheim in Graz

28. (oder 20.) März Lesung und Diskussion mit Studenten in Triest468 6. Juli Lesung und Diskussion in Mürzzuschlag

 9. Juli Präsentation des Projekts „Der Sturz aus dem Äther – Entwurf für eine Literaturaufbewahrungsstätte“ im Lerchhaus in Eibiswald

 25. (oder 9.) September Lesung im Kulturzentrum Kapfenberg

Lesung an einer Schule

1991

8. Jänner Lesung aus „Schöne Tage“ und „Härter als das Leben – Die Geschichte der Hanni R.“ in Mürzzuschlag, Café Wien472

 Brief des Österreichischen Generalkonsulats M

25. April Lesung aus „Hanni R.“, gemeinsam mit Fritz Krenn, im Kulturhauskeller in Graz

 5. Dezember Lesung und Diskussion im Bildungshaus Schloss Puchberg bei Wels

Veranstaltung an der HAK Feldbach und am BORG Feldbach476 Lesung für die Bauernakademie Linz

 1992

29. Juni Lesung aus seinem unveröffentlichten Roman im Café Atelier in Graz

 1993

25. Februar Beitrag über Innerhofers Roman „Um die Wette leben“ im Abendprogramm von ORF 2; „Wolfgang Beyer hat gemeinsam mit Innerhofer Personen und Schauplätze des Romans in Orvieto besucht.“

 5. März Lesung aus „Um die Wette leben“ gemeinsam mit Ingram Hartinger, der ebenfalls eine Neuerscheinung („Das Auffliegen der Ohreule“) vorstellte; Alte Schmiede, Wien

12. März Lesung gemeinsam mit Gerhard Amanshauser im Forum Stadtpark in Graz

 17. März Lesung aus „Um die Wette leben“ beim „Tostenwirt“ in Villach

 18. März Präsentation von „Um die Wette leben“ in der Bücherstube in Graz sowie Lesung im Grazer Kulturhauskeller

 Ende März Lesung im Rahmen der 23. Rauriser Literaturtage (weiterer österreichischer Vertreter: Robert Schneider; Preisträgerin die gebürtige Wienerin Ruth Klüger)484 31. März Lesung gemeinsam mit Barbara Frischmuth und Alois Brandstetter in der Innsbrucker Tyrolia485 6. Mai Lesung aus dem Buch „Um die Wette leben“ im Palais Wilczek486 letztes Augustwochenende Lesung am 13. Erlanger Poetenfest487 Rauriser Literaturtage, Vorstellung des neuen Buches „Um die Wette leben“, Gasthof Grimming, Lesung gemeinsam mit Robert Schneider (liest aus „Schlafes Bruder“) mit anschließender Diskussion mit Studentinnen und Studenten

1994

3. Februar Lesung im Gemeindeamt Ohlsdorf

 7. Mai Lesung Arena

 1995

13. Dezember Lesung der Gruppe „Transamazonika“ aus ihrem Gesamtwerk

1996

10. Dezember Lesung aus „Scheibtruhe“ im Gasthof Kramer „Zum Goldenen Löwen“ in Villach

 1998

24. Jänner Lesung bei der „Salzburger Lesenacht“ im Bierstindl 23. und 24. Mai LinzFest

1998

 Lesung am BG und BRG Braunau

1999

17. März Lesung aus einem in Arbeit befindlichen Roman mit dem Arbeitstitel „Das rechte Murufer“ im Grazer Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten