Max Brod
Max Brod was a prominent Czech writer, Zionist activist, and pivotal figure in the early 20th-century literary scene, particularly known for his association with Franz Kafka. Born in 1884 in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Brod emerged from a well-established German-speaking Jewish family. He studied law at the German University of Prague and initially worked in the postal service and later in the national government’s information office. Brod became known for his literary contributions, including his early novella and the notable Expressionist novel "Schloss Nornepygge." After Kafka's death, Brod took on the role of editor and biographer, significantly shaping Kafka's posthumous reputation. His literary work increasingly reflected the complexities of Jewish identity and spirituality, influenced by notable Jewish thinkers. Following the rise of Nazism, Brod fled to Tel Aviv in 1939, where he continued to write prolifically, exploring themes of love and identity. His contributions to literature were recognized with the Bialik Prize in 1948, highlighting his lasting impact on both Jewish culture and literature.
Max Brod
Author
- Born: May 17, 1884
- Birthplace: Prague, Austria-Hungary (now in Czech Republic)
- Died: December 20, 1968
- Place of death: Tel Aviv, Israel
Biography
Max Brod’s life was a long and productive one. He was famed not only as a writer but also as a Zionist activist and a discoverer of new talent, though his reputation as a writer may have been overtaken by his status as friend to Franz Kafka. He was born in 1884 in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now the capital of the Czech Republic. His parents belonged to a long-established family in the German-speaking Jewish community, which made up a sizeable minority in the city. His father, Adolf Brod, was a banker of an even temperament. His personality contrasted that of Brod’s mother, Fanny Rosenfeld, a high- strung woman. The couple had three children. Unfortunately, Brod developed a curvature of the spine, remaining partially deformed all his life.
After high school, Brod entered the German University of Prague, from which he obtained a law degree in 1907. From 1907to 1924 he was employed in the postal service, and later at the national government’s information office. In 1929, he became editor of the arts section of the Prager Tageblatt, a post he later resigned to become full-time writer. He had, in fact, had his first piece, a novella, published in 1905, and his 1908 novel Schloss Nornepygge was claimed to be the most important Expressionist novel of the time. For a time he was linked to the German Expressionist movement centered in Berlin. In 1913 he married Eva Taussig. His novel writing began to engage with the tensions within the Jewish community, a trend evident in Juedinnen (1922). He joined Prague’s literary circles and became involved with such artists as Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel, Jarolsav Hašek and Leoš Janáček. After Kafka’s death in 1924, Brod became his editor and biographer and published several critical analyses of Kafka’s.
Although Brod’s upbringing as a Jew had been secular, he became increasingly drawn to the spirituality of Judaism through the influence of Hugo Bergmann and Martin Buber, influential Jewish academics. After 1910 he became increasingly interested in the Zionist movement, but his religious interests deepened this commitment, and he produced several philosophical works on Judaism and Christianity. By the late 1930’s he was fully involved in getting people to leave Europe for Israel, and he was on the last train out of Prague before the Nazi invasion of 1939. He relocated to Tel Aviv, Israel, where he became adviser to the Habima theater company. After a ten-year gap, he resumed writing quite prolifically, especially about the Prague of his youth and Zionist themes. In 1948 he won Israel’s Bialik Prize for Israel for Galilei in Gefangenschaft. Brod also wrote poetry, plays, several memoirs, and an autobiography. Some have suggested that he wrote too much, but there are moments of great originality in his thought and expression. His importance is as a writer who wrestles with the theme of love in its personal, spiritual, and national forms.