ZIMMERMANN, OTTO. – Theologian and ascetical writer, born on 24 May 1873 at Döttingen (Switzerland), died on 13 January 1932 at Lucerne.
He entered the Society of Jesus (1890), and for many years was a contributor to the journal Stimmen der Zeit and a spiritual director. Among his better-known writings are Ohne Grenzen und Enden (Freiburg im Br. 1910, 5th ed. 1923); Das Gottesbedürfnis (there 1910); Warum Schuld und Schmerz? (3rd ed. there 1924); Vom Vielen zum Einen (there 1921). His fundamental work was a text on asceticism, Lehrbuch
der Aszetik (2nd ed. there 1932), which for quite some time held pre-eminence among works written in the German language, notable for its wealth of bibliography, organization, balanced judgments, and breadth of treatment. Arnaldo M. Lanz