Stefan Zweig

Born in Vienna in 1881, Stefan Zweig grew up in a prosperous Jewish family and became a major literary figure in the early 20th century. He wrote across several forms, including novellas, essays, plays, and biographies, and was especially admired for his psychological insight and his gift for making inner conflict feel immediate and alive.

At the height of his career in the 1920s and 1930s, Zweig was one of the most widely translated writers in the world. A committed humanist and pacifist, he was deeply attached to the idea of a shared European culture. The rise of Nazism forced him into exile, and he lived in Britain, the United States, and Brazil.

He died in Petrópolis, Brazil, in 1942. His memoir The World of Yesterday has helped keep his voice vivid for later readers, while works such as Letter from an Unknown Woman, Amok, and Chess Story continue to draw listeners and readers with their intensity, clarity, and compassion.