Biography
YEARBIO
1920

Vilém Flusser is born on the 12th of May in Prague into a family of Jewish intellectuals. He lives with his mother Melitta, a singer, her parents, his father Gustav and his sister Ludovika in the part of Prague called Dejvice. Gustav Flusser studied mathematics and physics, Einstein was one of his professors. He lectured at the German and Czech University and has been a social democrat member of Parliament. He was murdered in the concentration camp of Buchenwald in 1940. 1942 Flusser’s grandparents, his mother and his sister were brought to Auschwitz and later to Theresienstadt where they were murdered.

1926-30German and Czech primary school.
1930German grammar school.
1936

Flusser writes his first poems and the play “Saul”.

1937

Martin Buber's lecture “Prejudice against God” has a strong influence on Flusser‘s thinking.

1938

Matriculation in philosophy at the Juridical Faculty of Karls University Prague.

1939

Shortly after the occupation of Prague by the Nazis in March Flusser emigrates with Edith Barth, his later wife, and her parents to London. For a few months he continues his studies at the London School of Economics.

1940Emigration to Brazil. Reaching the port of Rio de Janeiro Flusser is informed of his father's death. Flusser leaves for São Paulo, where he finds a job in an Czech import/export company.
1941He marries Edith Barth. They move to São Paulo. Birth of daughter Dinah. First encounter with Alex Bloch, also a Jew who emigrated from Prague.
1943

Birth of son Miguel Gustavo.

1945

After the end of World War II Flusser finds out about the murder of his entire family in the murder camps of the Nazis.

1950Due to Flusser's job the family moves to Rio. Birth of son Victor. Begin of correspondence with Alex Bloch. Return to São Paulo at the end of the year.
1950/51Flusser begins to write a book about the history of ideas of the 18th century.
1957

Flusser finishes the bookmanuscript “The 20th Century”.

1957/58

He writes “History of the Devil” in German, followed by the Portuguese “A história do diabo”.

1959Flusser becomes director of Stabivolt, a factory for radios and transistors.
1960He gets in touch with the Brazilian Institute for Philosophy (IBF) in São Paulo and with Vincente Ferreira da Silva and his wife Dora, Milton Vargas and Miguel Reale. First linguistic-philosophical lectures at the IBF and publications at the Revista Brasileira Filosofia.
1961

Flusser gives a philosophical lecture every Wednesday afternoon in his house for the fellow students of his daughter Dinah, who help to publish his text “Praga, a cidade de Kafka” [Prague, City of Kafka] in the literary supplement of the daily newspaper O Estado de São Paulo.

1962Flusser is nominated Member of the Brazilian Philosophical Institute.
1963

First book publication: “Lingua e realidade” [Language and Reality]. Appointment to lecture in Communication Theories at the University of São Paulo. Lecture Series “Filosofia da Lingua” [Philosophy of Language].

1963/64

Writing of the manuscript for “Da Dúvida” [On Doubt].

1964

Appointed Professor of Communication Theories at the Faculty for Communication and Humanities of Fundação A.A. Penteado (FAAP) in São Paulo. Flusser holds this chair until 1970. He is nominated member of the advisory board of the São Paulo Biennale.

1965

Linguistic-philosophical lectures at the Faculty for Humanities of the Technological Institute for Aeronautic (ITA) in São José dos Campos. The literary magazine Cavalo Azul (edited by Dora Ferreira da Silva) releases the first and second chapter of the unpublished manuscript “Até terceira e quarta geração” [Until third and fourth stirps].

1966/67As delegate for cultural cooperation with Northern America and Europe of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry Flusser lectures in Harvard, Boston, Yale, at the MIT and numerous European Universities and Institutions. The FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), the SZ (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and Die Presse (Vienna) print articles by Flusser.
1967Flusser substitutes for his friend Milton Vargas as Lecturer for Philosophy of Science at the Escola Politécnica of the University of São Paulo. Appointed Professor for Philosophy of Communication at the Escola Dramática and the Escola de Superiore de Cinema in São Paulo.
1968/69

Because of the more and more problematic political situation in Brazil during the dictatorship it is getting harder for Flusser to lecture and to publish.

1970/71

He writes the manuscript “Auf der Suche nach einem neuen Menschen” [On search for a new human being]. The Portuguese “Em busca de um Novo Homem” is published as Fenomenologia do brasileiro [Phenomenology of the Brazilian] in 1998. The publication of a collection of scattered phenomenological drafts “Coisas que me cercam” [Things that surround me] fails.

1972

The daily newspaper Folha de São Paulo sets up a column “Posto Zero” [Point Zero] for Flusser. Every day critical glosses are released. Their journey to Europe for preparing the Biennale is taken as a chance to leave Brazil for good. Edith and Vilém settle in Meran, Italy. Flusser is writing short phenomenological texts, later published as Natural:mente. Their planned publication in French fails.

1973

Flusser begins to write his philosophical autobiography “Zeugenschaft aus der Bodenlosigkeit” [Witnessing from bottomlessness/groundlessness] later published as “Bodenlos”. Flusser publishes his first book in France, he hands in an English manuscript. First articles in French newspapers and magazines. Flusser participates in many conferences and gives numerous lectures.

1974

Begins to work on a “phenomenology of the human gesture”. Lectures in the USA. Articles in “main currents”.

1975The Flussers move to the south of France. Lecture series on gestures at the Institut de l'Environment in Paris.
1975/1976

Lecture series “Les phenomens de la Communication” at the Théâtre du Centre in Aix-en-Provence.

1976First visit in Brazil.
1976/77

Lectures “Comment notre crise existentielle se manifeste” at the Relais Culturel d'Aix-en-Provence. “Curs de la théorie de la Communication” at the Ecole d'Art et d'Architecture in Marseille-Luminy.

1977

Lectures “Les Gestes” at the Ecole d'Art d'Aix-en-Provence.

1977/78

Flusser summarizes his concepts of communication-philosophy, first in English and German, then in French, in the book manuscript “Mutations of Human Relations”, published as “Kommunikologie”.

1979Journey to São Paulo.
1980

Lectures “La société postindustrielle” [Postindustrial Society] at the Office Regional de la Culture in Marseille. Flusser writes the manuscript “Nachgeschichte” [Posthistory] in German and Portuguese.

1980/81

Starting with the work on “Vampyroteuthis infernalis”.

1981

The Flussers move to Robion/Provence. Flusser meets his later publisher Andreas Mueller-Pohle on a symposion on photography. He writes the essay “Für eine Philosophie der Fotografie” [Towards a Philosophy of Photography]. The German and Portuguese manuscripts of “Vampyroteuthis infernalis” are finished. He also begins the English and French versions. Lectures at the São Paulo Biennale.

1983

First book published in Germany: “Für eine Philosophie der Fotografie” [Towards a Philosophy of Photography] after many attempts and failures.

1983/84

Flusser is working on an extension of the “Fotophilosophy”.

1985/86

Flusser is working on the bookmanuskript “Hat Schreiben Zukunft?”.

1986

Begin of the column “Curie’s Children” in the Artforum/ New York. First visit to Prague. Flusser becomes consultant of the international cultural project “A Casa da Cor” in São Paulo.

1987

“Die Schrift. Hat Schreiben Zukunft?” [Writing. Is there a Future for Writing?] is released as book and on disc. Flusser works on tv-scenarios, later published as “Angenommen” [Suppose that].

1988

Flusser gets his own column “Reflections” in the magazine European Photography.

1988/89

His work “Vom Subjekt zum Projekt” [From Subject to Project] remains a fragment.

1990

Opening lecture “Zelte” [Tents] at the “steirischer herbst” in Graz, Austria.

1990/91

His work on “Menschwerdung” [Becoming Human] remains unfinished.

1991

Visiting professor at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany with seminars on human communication, structures of communication and communicology as culture critique. He gives a talk at “Cultec - Kultur und Technik im 21. Jahrhundert” (Wissenschaftszentrum NRW) in Essen, Germany, called “Die Informationsgesellschaft. Phantom oder Realität?” [Information Society. Phantom or Reality?] Lecture “Paradigmenwechsel” [Change of Paradigm] at the Goethe-Institute, Prague. The very next day, on the 27th of November Flusser dies in a car accident. He is buried at the Jewish cemetery in Prague.