author
Friederike Kempner
1836–1904
A 19th-century German Jewish poet and writer, she became famous both for her earnest verse and for the very mixed reactions it drew from critics. Her life also included outspoken work against capital punishment and animal cruelty.
1 Audiobook
Gedichte Sechste vermehrte Auflage
by Friederike Kempner
About the author
Born in Opatów in the Province of Posen, Friederike Kempner spent most of her life in Silesia after her family moved there in her youth. She was educated at home and later lived on the estate of Friederikenhof, where she wrote poetry, fiction, and prose.
Kempner published several volumes of verse and was widely noticed in her own time. Some readers admired her moral seriousness, while others mocked her poems for their unintended comic effect; that unusual mix of attention made her a memorable literary figure in German culture.
She also wrote passionately on social issues. Beyond literature, she is remembered for campaigning against the death penalty and for speaking up for the protection of animals.