I was born in Willisau-Land/Switzerland in 1940. After studying Romance languages and literature and History at the University of Fribourg/Switzerland and Sorbonne University, Paris, from 1962 to 1966, I received my PhD from the University of Fribourg in 1966. After teaching at the teacher training college of canton Luzern for 4 years, I worked on a research project in Paris from 1970 to 1973 which was financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
During the years of 1974 to 1980, I was assistant lecturer in the Romance philological department at the University of Regensburg/Germany, where I received my postdoctoral lecturing qualification in 1978.
I was appointed professor in 1980 and was offered a chair of Romance literature at the University of Freiburg/Germany in 1981. From 1984 to 2000, I headed 3 research projects funded by the German Research Council (reception of French literature in Germany, nation and modernity, construction of identities in Germany, France and Great Britain). In 1989, I was one of the founders of the University of Freiburg's 'Centre for French Studies', of which I am a board member (chairman from 1993 to 2000 and spokesperson for the "Graduiertenkolleg: Modernity and Tradition" during the same period).
Since 1989, I have been working in a close co-operation with Pierre
Bourdieu's
'Centre de sociologie européenne' where I was invited 5 times as
Directeur
de recherches associé.
Between 1997 and 2000, I was a member of the German-French Cultural
Council.
In 2001, I was guest lecturer at Sorbonne Nouvelle University (Paris III) and in 2002 at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. I was appointed Chevalier dans l'Orde des Palmes Académiques in 1991 and Chevalier dans l'Ordre National du Mérite in 2000. In 2001, I was awarded the Federal Distinguished Service Cross and in May 2005 I received the Officers's insignia of the "Ordre des Palmes Académiques". Between 2000 and 2007, I was a member of the Swiss Science and Technology Council and since 2005 its vice-president.
2008 Honorary Doctorate University Freiburg/Switzerland