Maria Lauber

Maria Lauber (August 25th 1891 – July 4th 1973) was a Swiss writer, who published both in Standard German and in the local dialect of Swiss German (specifically "Frutigtütsch", a form of Highest Alemannic).

Life and work

Born in Frutigen, in the Berner Oberland, Lauber worked as a teacher in Adelboden, Lenk and Kiental before retiring in 1952 for health reasons.

Her early work was mainly natural history written in Standard German, but she later published increasing numbers of stories, autobiographical narratives and poems in the Swiss German dialect of the Frutigtal valley, which runs along the river Kander.

In 1966, she was appointed an honorary citizen of Frutigen by the parish council. She is buried in the Frutigen cemetery, where her grave has been given a place of honour.

Awards and prizes

• 1951 Schiller Prize (for Chüngold)
• 1966 Literary Prize of the Canton of Bern
• 1966 honorary citizen of Frutigen

Selected bibliography

• Alpen-Legendchen, 1920
• D' Wyberschlacht uf de Langermatte. Ein Schauspiel aus der Zeit der Sage in 3 Akten, 1922
• Wa Grossatt nug het gläbt. Skizzen über das Brauchtum der Talschaft Frutigen in ihrer Mundart dargestellt, 1939
• Eghi Brügg: Gschichti us em innere Frutigtal, 1942
• Hab Sorg derzue. Sagen aus der Talschaft Frutigen nach mündlicher Ueberlieferung, 1940
• Chüngold (Erzählung), 1950
• Chüngold in der Stadt (Erzählung), 1954
• Mis Tal (Gedichte), 1955
• Bletter im Luft (Gedichte), 1959
• Unter dem gekrönten Adler. Die Talschaft Frutigen, 1961