Hermann Kesten
Hermann Kesten was a notable German-Jewish author and editor, born on January 28, 1900, in Nuremberg, Germany. He grew up in a culturally rich environment and pursued various academic interests, including law, economics, and literature. Kesten began his literary career in the 1920s, focusing on themes of justice, individual freedom, and opposition to persecution, as exemplified in his first novel, *Josef sucht die Freiheit*. His career faced a significant challenge in 1933 when he was forced into hiding due to the rise of the Nazi regime.
Kesten spent time in Amsterdam, where he published works opposing the Nazis and supported fellow exiled authors. His notable books during this period include *Spanish Fire* and a fictional biography of King Philip II. After being detained in a French concentration camp, he immigrated to New York in 1940, where he continued writing and advocating for oppressed authors. He returned to Europe in 1949 and received numerous awards for his contributions to literature. Kesten passed away on May 3, 1996, in Basel, Switzerland, leaving behind a legacy of commitment to freedom and resistance against oppression, as reflected in the honors established in his name.
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Hermann Kesten
Writer
- Born: January 28, 1900
- Birthplace: Nuremberg, Germany
- Died: May 3, 1996
- Place of death: Basel, Switzerland
Biography
Hermann Kesten was born January 28, 1900, in Nuremberg, Germany, to Isidor and Ida (Tisch) Kesten. His father was a merchant and provided a financially modest upbringing for Kesten, but one that was rich in culture and ideals. Kesten pursued many interests, studying law, economics, history, philosophy, and German literature in Erlangen and Frankfurt, Germany. Kesten ended his formal education in 1923 and began traveling extensively throughout Europe and Africa for three years.
In 1926, Kesten began working in Berlin as a literary editor for a publisher that specialized in antiwar literature. In 1928, he married Toni Warowitz.
Kesten’s writing reflects his commitment to justice and his opposition to any type of persecution. His first novel, Josef sucht die Freiheit, deals with the quest for individual freedom and integrity, themes that would come to echo throughout in his corpus of work. As his writing career matured, his commitment to the pursuit of freedom expanded to freedom from the church, the state, and other institutions.
His writing career would be cut short in 1933, as Hitler’s power spread and Kesten, a German Jew, would be forced into hiding in Amsterdam. Kesten remained in Amsterdam until 1940, working in opposition to the Nazi regime and publishing works of fellow exiled authors, particularly German exiles. The books he published were among those banned and burned by the Nazis.
During his exile, Kesten published two books that would prove to be his most successful works: Spanish Fire: The Story of Ferdinand and Isabella and a fictional biography of King Philip II, I, The King. He focused on Spain’s dictators and oppressive governments and drew parallels between them and the current dictators and fascists that were fighting in Europe. Through these works Kesten offered an analysis and prediction of the Jews’ fate should Hitler succeed.
In 1939, France declared war on Germany. Kesten, who had been living in France at the time, was deemed an undesirable alien and sent to a concentration camp for five weeks. He was fortunate enough to be able to leave France and immigrate to New York in 1940. In New York, Kesten published two biographies; Copernicus and His World and Die Lust am Leben: Boccaccio, Aretino, Casanova. The biographies were met with great success and critical praise. During this period, he continued to help authors and others who were in exile or were being persecuted in Europe. Kesten was committed to publishing authors who were living under oppressive governments or were in hiding.
In 1949, immediately following his acquisition of United States citizenship, Kesten and his wife relocated to Rome, Italy, marking their first return to Europe since their exile. Kesten died on May 3, 1996, in Basel, Switzerland.
Kesten received the Culture Prize of the City of Nuremberg in 1954, the Premio Calabria in 1969, the George Buechner Prize in 1974, the Culture Prize of the City of Dortmund in 1977, and the Nelly Sachs Award in 1977. He was awarded honorary degrees from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 1978 and the Free University of Berlin in 1982. The publishing house R. S. Schulz’s Hermann Kesten Prize and the German PEN club’s Hermann Kesten Medal were created in his honor.
Kesten’s unwavering fight against oppression and commitment to freedom are his greatest contributions to literature.