Dear Rice colleagues,
I’m writing to share that Klaus Weissenberger, professor emeritus of German studies, died last week. He was 86.
Klaus came to Rice in 1971 and retired 50 years later, having served the university in a variety of leadership roles. For 16 years, he was chair of the Department of German and Slavic Studies. Klaus and his wife, Eugenia, also served as magisters of Hanszen College and established a study abroad scholarship that supports students interested in learning about regional cuisines.
Klaus was born in Germany and, as a child during World War II, lived in an internment camp in Australia with his parents. He began his postsecondary education at the University of Hamburg and earned his doctorate from the University of Southern California. Over the course of his career, Klaus wrote or edited eight books, the most recent of which examines the nonfictional work of German writers exiled from Nazi Germany. Klaus was a well-known expert on Paul Celan, the poet who survived forced labor camps during the war. In 2020, what is now the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures hosted an international conference on Celan’s poetry.
Klaus’ other broad research interests included the development of lyric poetry and fairy tales, exile literature, nonfictional artistic prose, and the differences in German and Austrian literature. After his retirement, he returned to Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts to participate in Artists in Dialogue with Christina Forrer, whose tapestry pieces are inspired by fairy tales. I invite you to read more about Klaus’ background, scholarship and service in his Rice News obituary.
Klaus’ memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Chapel in the Hills in Wimberley, Texas, where Klaus and Eugenia lived since his retirement from Rice. A memorial at Rice is planned for the fall semester. Please join me in extended condolences to Klaus’ family and former colleagues.
Warm regards,
Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughs Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs