Stefan Zweig

Born in Vienna in 1881. First journalistic works besides his philosophya studies, later also translator for Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaires and Émile Verhaeren as well as writer for novellas, prose and biographies of e. g. Lew Tolstoi, Marie-Antoinette und Napoléon Bonaparte that are Romanesque and very subjective. Returning themes are especially inner and outer melancholy and resignation of the protagonists, that stop them from being happy such e. g. in »Beware of Pity« (1934). His character concepts are highly influenced by the Freudian psychoanalysis. Other important works are e. g. »Amok« (1922), »The World of Yesterday« (1941) and »The Royal Game« (1942). After Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and the annexation of Austria, Zweig fled first to London, then to Paraguay and finally to Brazil. He committed suicide in 1942 in Petrópolis.

Schaubühne:

Beware of Pity, Direction: Simon McBurney (2015)