On the death of Prof. Dr. Peter von Matt

Peter von Matt was president of the Max Frisch Foundation from its inception in 1979 until 2013. We owe him a great deal: he was involved in its founding and helped bring Max Frisch's archive to ETH Zurich, first to Department XII for Humanities and Social Sciences (now the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management) and later to the ETH Library. For decades, he led the foundation with professional expertise and strategic vision. In addition to his many academic works and lectures, which significantly shaped the public image of Max Frisch, Peter von Matt also made a valuable contribution as an editor. Particularly noteworthy are his editions of the early, long-forgotten Antwort aus der Stille (2009) and Entwürfe zu einem dritten Tagebuch (2010), which were very well received by the public. His term of office also included the anniversary year 2011, when the 100th anniversary of Max Frisch's birth and the 20th anniversary of his death were celebrated with many events. Last but not least, the presidency was linked to the chairmanship of the jury for the Max Frisch Prize of the City of Zurich, which has been awarded every four years since 1998. In 2013, Peter von Matt finally handed over the presidency to Thomas Strässle. In all his activities for the foundation, Peter von Matt always considered it important to make Max Frisch's work accessible to a wide readership, to open up new perspectives on it and to promote critical engagement with it. The Foundation Board remembers its long-standing former president with gratitude and friendship.

Thomas Strässle, President of the Max Frisch Foundation