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Abstract
A Swiss friend introduced me to Walter Vogt's writings in 1986 because he knew of one common background:As students of medicine in Switzerland and as trained psychiatrists. I fully appreciated Vogt's first two novels with their clinical focus. I had encountered "Professor Wuthrich," and I knew what HUSTEN was all about. I soon became fascinated with Vogt's wide range of topics.
After reading all Vogt's works I wrote to request a meeting. Five days after sending off my letter, news came of his untimely death. Four days later, a letter from Walter Vogt arrived, in which he agreed to meet with me in Muri. He had written it the day before his death.
At Mrs. Vogt's invitation I spent some time with her in early November 1988. She was kind enough to invite Walter's longtime friend, the clergyman and author, Kurt Marti, to what proved to be for me a very productive meeting.
This is the first attempt to show how Vogt's life is reflected in his writing. My discussion has been limited to a small selection of Vogt's prolific production. Several of the works cited are autobiographical in nature, and the authenticity of the contents was confirmed by Mrs. Vogt during our meeting. As a result of my training and experience in the field of psychiatry, emphasis has been placed on what I believe to be the central influences in his life his developmental years with his mother and father, his lifelong battle with illnesses. His quest for existential authenticity and his courageous stands on social, religious,medical and environmental issues indicate Vogt's unwillingness to separate literature from life.
There has been no attempt to place a diagnosis on Walter Vogt nor have strict psycho historical protocols been used. I admire Walter Vogt and wish to contribute to an appreciation of his literary achievement on an international level.
