Leonhard Frank

Born in Würzburg in 1882, Leonhard Frank became an important German novelist, playwright, and short-story writer in the early 20th century. He is often associated with Expressionism, but what stands out most in his writing is its sympathy for people pushed to the margins and its clear-eyed attention to injustice.

His life was shaped by the turmoil of his time. During the First World War he left Germany and spent years in exile, and after the rise of the Nazi regime he lived abroad again before eventually returning to Germany after the Second World War. Those experiences of conflict, displacement, and social breakdown gave his fiction much of its urgency.

Frank wrote across several forms and remained widely read for works including The Robber Band and Karl and Anna. His books combine emotional intensity with a strong moral concern, making him a striking voice in 20th-century German literature.