Erich Kästner

James M. Skidmore (University of Waterloo)

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

Born 23 Feb 1899
Died 29 Jul 1974
Activity 1928-1974

Places

Born in Germany
Active in Germany

Activities

Primary

Children's/Young Adult writer
Novelist
Poet

Resources

Kästner's Works

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Known primarily as a children's author, Erich Kästner was also one of the leading lights of Berlin culture during the Weimar Republic. His satirical poetry and prose captured the essence of the times both politically and socially. Present at the 1933 book burnings when his own works were thrown into the flames, Kästner survived the “Third Reich” relatively unscathed, and although he received numerous literary honours during the post-war period, he did not produce anything approaching his masterworks of the 1920s.

Erich Kästner was born in Dresden on 23 February 1899 to Ida and Emil Kästner. His father, a leatherworker, and his mother, a maid and hairdresser, had a difficult marriage, and Kästner developed an extremely close relationship with his mother who nurtured his interest

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1137 words

Citation: Skidmore, James M.. "Erich Kästner". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 November 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11872, accessed 21 November 2024.]