The New International Encyclopædia/Bitzius, Albert

BITZIUS, bēt'sḗ-ōōs, (1797-1854). A Swiss author, known also by his pseudonym, Jeremias Gotthelf. He was born at Murten (Freiburg), studied at Göttingen, and was pastor at Lützelflüh (Bern) from 1832 until his death. His works deal with the Canton of Bern, and are written in the popular dialect. They have become classic in Switzerland, and have found a wider circulation through translations into High German. A fine edition of his complete writings appeared at Chaux-de-Fondes in 1894-96 (4 vols.). Selections are accessible under the title Ausgewählte Erzählungen (1888) in Reclam's Universalbibliothek.