Alfred Henschke

author

Alfred Henschke

1890–1928

Best known by the pen name Klabund, this German writer moved quickly and boldly across poetry, novels, and drama. His work helped shape Expressionist literature, often mixing sharp wit, lyric energy, and an interest in Chinese and Japanese forms.

1 Audiobook

Deutsche Literaturgeschichte in einer Stunde

Deutsche Literaturgeschichte in einer Stunde

by Alfred Henschke

About the author

Born in 1890, Alfred Henschke wrote under the name Klabund, a pseudonym formed from the words klabautermann and Vagabund. He became a prolific figure in early 20th-century German literature, publishing poetry, fiction, and plays during a remarkably short life.

He is especially remembered for his place in German Expressionism and for the range of his writing. Alongside poems and novels, he worked on dramatic pieces and adaptations, and he was known for bringing influences from Chinese and Japanese literature into his work in ways that stood out at the time.

Henschke died in 1928 at just 37. Even so, his output was large enough to leave a lasting mark, and the name Klabund remains the one most readers connect with his lively, experimental voice.