Born: 12 June 1928, Luxembourg
Died: 1 March 2023
Country most active: Luxembourg
Also known as: Luise Anna Blanpain
Anise Koltz was a Luxembourgish poet and writer, recognized for her significant poetic contributions in both German and French.
Born in Luxembourg, Koltz transitioned to becoming a major figure in French literature after years of writing in German. Her diverse ancestry, comprising Czech, German, English, and Belgian roots, and proficiency in German, French, and Luxembourgish, reflected her position as a representative figure in European literature.
Descendant of Emile Mayrisch, co-founder of Arbed, and Aline de Saint-Hubert, translator of Maître Eckhart, Koltz hailed from a family advocating passionately for European unity between the wars. She published her debut poetry collection, “Spuren nach innen,” in 1960 in Luxembourg, followed by “Steine und Vögel” in 1964 in Munich. After the death of her husband, René Kolz, a WWII Nazi deportee, in 1971, Koltz primarily chose to write in French.
From 1963 to 1974, she initiated and led the Mondorf Biennials, succeeded by the Literary Days of Mondorf from 1995 to 1999, and later the European Academy of Poetry, presided over by Anise Koltz. A member of the Mallarmé Academy and the Grand Ducal Institute of Arts and Letters, Koltz received several accolades, including the Batty-Weber Prize in 1996, Guillaume-Apollinaire Prize in 1998, Servais Prize in 2008, and the Jean-Arp Prize for Francophone Literature in 2009. In 2018, she was awarded the prestigious Goncourt Prize for Poetry. Anise Koltz passed away on March 1, 2023.