Lively memory: Konrad Lorenz in the new novel by Ilona Jerger!

Lively memory: Konrad Lorenz in the new novel by Ilona Jerger!

Konrad Lorenz, Österreich - A fascinating portrait of the behavioral researcher Konrad Lorenz unfolds in Ilona Jerger's new novel "Lorenz". This urgent novel biography, which was recently recognized as "Knowledge Book of the Year" 2024, gives a deep insight into the multi -layered personality of Lorenz, whose influence on science remains sustainable. Jerger's choice of an ornithologist as a narrator brings an unmistakable proximity to the story that kidnaps us into a time full of contradictions and change. We are kidnapped in the world of thoughts of a man who revolutionized behavioral research and told passionately large stories about animals, while at the same time defending controversial theses that are viewed critically today.

man behind science

Konrad Lorenz is not only known as a Nobel laureate, but also for his outstanding contributions to behavioral research. The focus is on his theories about the aggression and the child's scheme, but Jerger's work reveals the dual nature of his personality. When she wrote to "Lorenz", Ilona Jerger experienced an inner torn: The soulful narrator of animal stories, like that with the gray goose Martina, is in a sharp contrast to his problematic statements from the time of National Socialism, in which he spoke about "inferior human material". This ambivalence between compassion for animals and a cold analysis of human existence runs through the entire work and makes it a gripping reading that cannot be put aside.

With its clear and sensitive writing style, Jerger combines historical facts with personal elements and leads the reader to understand the emotional depth and the complexity that Konrad Lorenz shaped. This creates a multi -layered image of a scientist whose ideas continue to arouse relevance and interest - not least through the influence of its work on modern behavioral research, which is more important today than ever. The novel is not only a biographical story, but also an invitation to think about the limits of science and ethics.

More about this has reported SWR Kultur , while Econews The emotional depth and the captivating narrative by Jerger praise.