Verliebte Feinde

Více o knize

Iris von Roten, a prominent jurist from a bourgeois Protestant background, became a renowned feminist and the most hated woman in Switzerland overnight in 1958 with her manifesto, "Frauen im Laufgitter." Married to Peter von Roten, a Catholic conservative jurist and politician, she insisted on complete independence for both partners in all aspects of their marriage. Acknowledging that they were not a conventional happy couple, they lived their unique life plan. During their numerous separations, Iris traveled alone to the Middle East and the USA, reminiscent of earlier female travelers like Ella Maillart and Annemarie Schwarzenbach. Throughout their relationship, they exchanged approximately 1,500 letters, which provide a rich intellectual and social critique. Wilfried Meichtry explores this extensive correspondence, revealing the intriguing personal, political, and cultural history of 20th-century Switzerland. This narrative encompasses the women's movement, conservative Catholicism, and a portrayal of the 1950s. It also serves as a document of a radical lifestyle akin to that of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, albeit under less metropolitan circumstances, yet marked by intensity and significant consequences.