author
Walter von Molo
1880–1958
A novelist and biographer with an engineer’s training, he became known for vivid historical fiction and life stories of major German figures. His career crossed empires, wars, and political upheaval, giving his work a strong sense of drama and public life.
1 Audiobook
Lebenswende
by Walter von Molo
About the author
Born on June 14, 1880, in Šternberk in Moravia, Walter von Molo grew up in Vienna and studied mechanical and electrical engineering before beginning his career in technical work and the patent office. He later moved toward literature, bringing a practical background and a broad historical interest into his writing.
He became especially known for historical novels and biographies, writing about figures such as Frederick the Great, Martin Luther, Heinrich von Kleist, and Prince Eugene. His books reached a wide readership, and he was associated with major literary institutions in Germany, including the Prussian Academy of Arts.
Von Molo lived through the collapse of Austria-Hungary, two world wars, and the cultural tensions of mid-20th-century Germany. He died on October 27, 1958, in Hechendorf, now part of Murnau am Staffelsee, in Bavaria.