Otto Sutermeister

Who was Otto Sutermeister?

Friedrich Gottlieb Otto Sutermeister was a Swiss folklorist and professor at the University of Berne who collected and revised numerous folk tales, legends, fables, and proverbs.

Strongly influenced by the Brothers Grimm, Sutermeister emphasized the didactic aspect of Swiss folklore and rewrote many of the tales to suit young readers. He also was editor of the works of Jeremias Gotthelf and of the "Swiss Idioticon".

Otto Sutermeister was a friend of the German poet Friedrich Rückert, the father of Werner Sutermeister and the grandfather of Heinrich and Hans Martin Sutermeister.