Carl Seelig (May 11, 1894, Zurich – February 15, 1962, Zurich) was a German-Swiss writer and patron. He was best known as a friend, promoter and guardian of Robert Walser and the first biographer of Albert Einstein.[1]
Seelig was born to Karl Wilhelm, a proprietor of a silk dye works and a mountaineer, and Julie Alwine née Kuhn. He married Maria Margareta Deutsch and later Martha Suter. He attended grammar school in Zurich and Trogen. He studied jurisprudence in Zurich, although he did not attain a degree. During the 1920s, he began writing both poetry and prose.
His later filled roles as a writer and a publisher. Seeling then began publishing independent literature as a theatre and film reviewer, editor, and author. Notably, he undertook the role of a biographer, particularly on life of Albert Einstein. Additionally, he was a supporter for authors in exile and for Robert Walser. He assumed the roles of editor, custodian, and executor for Walser, which culminated in his portrayal of him in "Wanderungen mit Robert Walser" (1957). It was translated for the first time into the English, Walks with Walser, by Anne Posten in 2017.[2]
An international libraries overview counted 163 published works, in 294 publications and 13 languages. He also employed the pseudonym Thomas Glohn for some of his written works.[3] Seelig's recorded correspondents were, among others, Max Brod, Hans Henny Jahnn, Alfred Polgar and Joseph Roth. He also maintained close contacts with Swiss authors, most notably Robert Walser, whom he accompanied on his walks, giving rise to the biographical work, Wanderungen mit Robert Walser,
The Swiss Literary Archives store, as a long-term loan, approximately 6,000 manuscript pieces by Seelig.
As a testament to his dedication, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Carl Seelig Foundation in 1966. Notably, this foundation underwent a name change in 2004, becoming recognized as the Robert Walser Foundation.[4]