Kasimir Edschmid

Born Eduard Hermann Wilhelm Schmid in Darmstadt on October 5, 1890, he wrote under the name Kasimir Edschmid and became one of the notable figures of German Expressionism. He studied Romance languages and, in his early years, published poems, stories, essays, and manifestos that helped define the movement’s bold, emotional style.

Edschmid was also active in the wider art world: he was a co-founder of the Darmstädter Sezession in 1919. Over time, his writing moved beyond early Expressionism toward realism and later a more visionary mode, and he became known not only for fiction but also for essays and travel writing.

His career was marked by the political shocks of the 20th century. One of his books was among those burned by the Nazis in 1933. He died in Switzerland on August 31, 1966. Today he is remembered both as a creative writer and as an important interpreter of the Expressionist generation.