Memorial service for Peter von Matt: “The opposite of a bore”

When Peter von Matt gave his weekly lectures, the University of Zurich was extremely crowded. The auditorium was always packed, filled not only with students but also with many other interested people, the "Von Matt groupies," as they were called. Now, five months after his death, many of his followers gathered once again to remember him at the Schauspielhaus. The tickets were all sold out within a few days – the Pfauensaal has rarely been this full in recent years.

Von Matt was the "opposite of a bore," as former NZZ arts editor Martin Meyer explained the phenomenon. "Many wanted to write like him, but no one succeeded, not even Marcel Reich-Ranicki." Meyer called von Matt a "critical patriot," referring to the many essays and interviews in which the deceased had addressed the country's sensibilities.

For former Schauspielhaus director Barbara Frey, Peter von Matt was the "most poetic of all Germanists." He was distinguished by his ability "to dream even in the sober state of analysis." Von Matt was a great connoisseur of literature—as long as it didn't concern his own works. She once read him a passage from one of his books. "He asked me in disbelief: 'I wrote that?' When I answered in the affirmative, he asked: 'Where?'" Then he added: "Ah yes, that's not so bad."

Moritz Leuenberger explained that, in his first year as Federal President, von Matt had provided him with the template for his speech on the Day of the Sick: a rendition of the song "The Moon Has Risen." The former Federal Councilor also read an excerpt from a speech von Matt had given in 1998 at the commemoration of the "200 Years of Modern Switzerland" anniversary in Aarau. He only read half of it, though. He couldn't find the next page of his speech manuscript. After some hesitation, Leuenberger continued: "I could look on my phone now." So he continued without a manuscript and brilliantly summarized von Matt's message in his own words.

Attorney Peter Nobel, who organized the memorial event together with Martin Meyer, gave an entertaining account of how he, Peter von Matt, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt met with Federal Councilor Flavio Cotti for lunch at the Bellevue Palace Hotel in Bern in December 1988 to convince him to establish a national literary archive. Due to a snowstorm, Dürrenmatt and von Matt arrived half an hour late. The plan: Dürrenmatt would donate his estate to the federal government on the condition that Switzerland establish a literary archive. Cotti was suddenly picked up by a federal usher during the meal. When he returned, he agreed to the deal.

Only later did they learn why Cotti had been unexpectedly forced to leave: Federal Councilor Elisabeth Kopp had admitted that afternoon that she had warned her husband about investigations by phone, which later led to her resignation. Nobel: "The Swiss Literary Archives probably only exist thanks to the Kopp affair."

A classical string quartet and a folk music trio from Central Switzerland provided the musical accompaniment. A fitting reflection of the breadth of von Matt's work: this exceptional German scholar moved in the highest academic circles, yet remained a mountain dweller. The guests at the memorial event also noted the broad spectrum, at least politically: Von Matt fascinated and inspired people from all walks of life. This truly underscores his achievements.