Heinz Politzer

Who was Heinz Politzer?

Heinz Politzer was an Austrian writer, literary critic, and historian of literature; particularly of Franz Kafka. He also lived in Israel, moving to Jerusalem in 1941, and then the United States.

He was a professor in Bryn Mawr College, Oberlin College, and University of California, Berkeley.

He had an impact in the interest in Kafka in the United States and the publication of the first complete translated works of Kafka in the US, and he was a close associate to Kafka's protégé, Max Brod.

He was awarded the Key to the City of Vienna and the Austrian Cross, among many other prizes and honors. Among the highlights of his career was giving the Eroeffnungrede to the 1976 Salzburg Music Festival.

He was survived by his wife Jane Hinman Horner Politzer, and four sons, Mike, Dave, Steve and Eric. His grave is in the Petersfriedhof, Salzburg, Austria. He was also survived by his daughter, Maria Bettina Politzer and her two children, Monika and Alexi Zemsky.