author
Wilhelm Speyer
1887–1952
A sharp, versatile German writer whose work ranged from novels and plays to children's books, he became especially known for lively school stories before exile disrupted his career. Forced to leave Nazi Germany, he spent his later years in Switzerland, where he continued writing until his death in 1952.
1 Audiobook
Wie wir einst so glücklich waren!
by Wilhelm Speyer
About the author
Born in Berlin on February 21, 1887, Wilhelm Speyer was a German writer who worked across several forms, including novels, plays, screenwriting, and books for younger readers. Reference works describe him as a novelist, playwright, and children's author, and his best-known reputation today is tied to his school stories.
One of his most noted books was Der Kampf der Tertia (1927), a school story that drew lasting praise and helped secure his place in German children's literature. Speyer also worked in film-related writing, which reflects how active and adaptable he was in the literary culture of the 1920s and early 1930s.
Speyer was of Jewish origin and, after the rise of the Nazi regime, lived in exile in Switzerland. He died in Riehen, near Basel, on December 1, 1952. His life and career now stand as part of the broader story of German-language writers whose work was shaped—and interrupted—by displacement in the twentieth century.