Hans Fallada

Hans Fallada is one of the most prolific and influential authors of the 20th century. Born Rudolf Wilhelm Alfred Ditzen in Greifswald, Germany in 1893, Hans Fallada lived a colorful and eventful life as a writer and novelist. After an eventful youth filled with activities including military service and arrest, Fallada found his true calling and proceeded to become one of Germany’s most important writers, who wrote works that were filled with insight, humour, and profound moments of reflection.

Beginning his career as a poet and playwright, Fallada wrote a number of works inspired by his experiences in Germany during World War I and the Weimar Republic. His most famous works from that period include his novel Little Man, What Now? (1932), which follows an unemployed locksmith in Weimar Germany, as well as a collection of short stories and poems. After the Nazi regime seized control of Germany in 1933, Fallada wrote in a more serious and jaded style, becoming known as an important voice of reason and humanity during a difficult time.

During World War II, Fallada penned a number of works under a pseudonym, including his most famous work, Alone in Berlin (1947). This novel tells the story of an ordinary German couple who decide to resist the Germans’ policy of deportation and the Gestapo’s oppressive ways. The book was later adapted into a wonderful film.

After the war, Fallada wrote many novels including Wolf Among Wolves (1947), Fear (1947), and Every Man Dies Alone (1947). His novels depicted a wide variety of themes spanning from historical fiction to war, crime, and even crime fiction. Fallada embraced reality and drastically depicted everyday life in Germany after the war, along with its social, political, and economic changes. His work was revered by many, even by Nobel Prize literature winner Heinrich Böll.

Hans Fallada was also an accomplished playwright, short story writer, and essayist. He wrote many highly acclaimed works such as The Drayman Henschel (1932), Iron Gustav (1935), and Dr. Henry Brinkmann (1945). Fallada also wrote Fear (1947), a collection of essays that express his beliefs on life and sexuality.

In 1947, Fallada unexpectedly passed away due to a liver disease he had developed. His sudden death came at the height of his career and stunned Germany’s literary world. He is to this day remembered as one of the greatest German writers of the 20th century and his works remain as important voices of literature. His works on fear, war, and interpersonal relationships continue to inspire readers to this day.