Albert Ehrenstein

Born in Vienna in December 1886, he became one of the notable writers associated with German-language Expressionism. He studied at the University of Vienna and began publishing early, with work appearing in influential literary journals connected to the avant-garde scene in Vienna and Berlin.

His writing ranged across poetry, fiction, and essays. Readers often remember him for its sharp rejection of middle-class conformity, its intense emotional tone, and its strong interest in Asian themes, especially China. He spent much of his career between Vienna and Berlin and was part of a wider circle of major early 20th-century artists and writers.

The rise of Nazism pushed him into exile. After periods in Europe, he eventually reached the United States in 1941 and died in New York in April 1950. Today he is often described as an important but somewhat overlooked Expressionist voice whose life and work were deeply marked by displacement.