author
Gottfried Benn
1886–1956
A German poet, essayist, and physician, he became one of the sharpest and most unsettling voices of literary Expressionism. His work drew on clinical observation, war experience, and a cool, exact style that helped shape modern German poetry.
1 Audiobook
Gehirne: Novellen
by Gottfried Benn
About the author
Born on May 2, 1886, in Mansfeld, Germany, he studied medicine and worked as a physician as well as a writer. That medical training left a deep mark on his early poetry, which is known for its stark images of the body, illness, and death.
He first gained attention with early collections such as Morgue und andere Gedichte and became an important figure in German Expressionism. Over time, he also wrote essays and prose, and his work remained influential in German literature long after the Expressionist movement's first wave had passed.
His political record in the 1930s remains controversial, but his standing as a major postwar German poet was firmly recognized. In 1951 he received the Georg Büchner Prize, one of the most important literary honors in the German-speaking world. He died in Berlin on July 7, 1956.