Page 22 - ZSG Bordmagazin 2021 - Zürichsee Schifffahrt

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Writing Zurich – Literary Traces on Land and Water
Zurich – city on the Limmat, city of literature. The birthplace and home of notable Swiss writers such as Gottfried Keller, Max Frisch and Johanna Spyri, Zurich also became a refuge for exiled literary figures during the world wars and has found its way into the works of authors such as James Joyce.
If you fancy a wander through Zurich’s literary landscape, you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice. The list of books that were written here or inspired by the city is long. Correspondingly varied are
the opportunities for delving into their history: on foot, by tram or, for ultimate comfort, by boat – Zurich’s literary heritage can also be explored on the Limmat or on Lake Zurich.
“Yssel that the Limmat?” – James Joyce in Zurich. Anyone wanting to combine their interest in English literature with a boat trip on the Limmat should start their tour in Zurich’s Platzspitz park. The point where the Limmat and Sihl flow together was one of James Joyce’s (1) favourite spots. Joyce had a close relation- ship with Zurich and it was while living here that he created parts of his masterpiece “Ulysses”. He repeatedly returned to Zurich during the 1930s and died here on 13 January 1941. His final resting place lies close to Elias Canetti’s grave in Fluntern Cemetery.
While Zurich’s Niederdorf quarter, the Sechseläuten spring festival and the Sihlpost building can be found in Joyce’s work as “Neederthorpe”, “Sexaloitez” and “Sillypost”, Joyce’s time here also left a more tangible legacy. The Limmat boats departing from the Landesmuseum stop by the Hotel Storchen. From there, a short walk will take you to the Zurich James Joyce Foundation at Strauhof. This archive, specialist library and research institute also serves as a meeting place for Joyce admirers. Situated between Limmatquai and Bellevue you’ll find the Café Odeon, which Joyce frequented from time to time. More often though, him
The Irish writer James Joyce made Zurich his second home.