Herman George Scheffauer

Born in San Francisco, Herman George Scheffauer was a poet, writer, journalist, dramatist, translator, and trained architect. Reliable reference sources agree that he died in Berlin in 1927, though his birth year is often listed as 1876 rather than 1878, so the record appears mixed on that point.

He was associated with California literary life early on and later spent significant time in Europe, especially in London and Berlin. His writing ranged widely across poetry, commentary, and cultural criticism, and he became known for interpreting German literature and the arts for English-language readers.

Scheffauer's career crossed several worlds at once: American bohemian literature, journalism, and the international exchange of ideas in the years before and after the First World War. That mix gives his work a distinctive place for readers interested in writers who acted as cultural go-betweens as much as creators in a single genre.