author
Arno Holz
1863–1929
A leading voice of German Naturalism, this poet and playwright pushed for a sharper, more realistic kind of literature. He is especially remembered for Phantasus and for helping shape the literary debates of his time.
1 Audiobook
Die Familie Selicke: Drama in drei Aufzügen
by Arno Holz, Johannes Schlaf
About the author
Born on April 26, 1863, in Rastenburg, East Prussia, Arno Holz later moved to Berlin, where he worked as a journalist before making his life as a freelance writer. He became one of the key figures of German Naturalism, arguing that literature should capture everyday life with as much truth and immediacy as possible.
Holz wrote poetry, drama, and criticism, and his collaborations with Johannes Schlaf were important to the Naturalist movement. Among his best-known works is Phantasus, a poetry collection closely associated with his experiments in form and language. He was also nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Although financial hardship marked much of his career, Holz remained an influential literary presence. He died in Berlin on October 26, 1929, and is still remembered as a writer who helped redefine what modern German literature could sound like.