Gottfried Benn

Poet

Birthday May 2, 1886

Birth Sign Taurus

Birthplace Putlitz, Germany

DEATH DATE Jul 7, 1956 (70)

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About

A German author, expressionist poet, and physician, he is best known for his nihilistic poems. His best-known works include Morgue und andere Gedichte, Fleisch, Schutt, and Nach dem Nihilismus.

Before Fame

He attended the University of Marburg and the Kaiser Wilhelm II Academy, studying theology and medicine, respectively.

Trivia

He initially supported the Nazi party, but quickly rescinded his praise after the 1934 Rohm-Putsch purge.

Family Life

He was the son of a Lutheran pastor from Brandenburg.

Associated With

He may or may not have met Bertolt Brecht in real life, but a fictionalized rendezvous between the two occurs in Gunther Grass' 1999 novel, My Century.