Exhibition traces Rilke’s formative months in Linz

An exhibition at the StifterHaus exhibition venue in Linz is examining a short but formative period in the youth of Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the most influential German-language poets of modern times. ORF reported that the poet spent several months in the Upper Austrian capital at the end of the 19th century.

Rilke, who was born in Prague, attended Linz’s commercial academy between 1891 and 1892. He also wrote his first poems there. Petra-Maria Dallinger, director of the StifterHaus, said chance or family connections may have played a role in his ending up in Linz.

The stay offered Rilke a fresh start after several difficult years at military schools in St. Pölten and Mährisch Weißkirchen. In a letter to his mother, he wrote that he had settled in completely and was happy to be there, describing Linz as comfortable and friendly.

His happiness in the city did not last. Rilke left after an affair with a nanny and later remembered the period less favourably. Dallinger said his letters from the time expressed relief and gratitude for the welcome he received from the Truot host family, making his later negative view of the period difficult to understand.

After leaving Linz, Rilke returned to Upper Austria only once, for a summer stay in the Salzkammergut. He died of leukaemia in Switzerland in 1926 at the age of 51.

Rilke’s work continues to attract young readers. Poems including The Panther and Love Song are recited and reinterpreted on social media. Dallinger attributed the work’s continuing relevance not only to its literary quality but also to Rilke’s biography, including themes of identity, closeness and attachment, as well as aspects of his childhood that are now discussed in connection with gender identity.