Max Brod owes much of his fame to his close friend, Franz Kafka. Not only did he publish Kafka’s biography and interpretations of his works, as well as edit and publicize Kafka’s novels and stories, but as Kafka’s executor, he enriched modern literature by disregarding Kafka’s wish that he destroy his manuscripts after his death. Both writers belonged to the German-speaking Jewish community of Prague, where Brod earned a law degree and worked as a civil servant, journalist, and writer. A dedicated Zionist since 1910, Brod and his wife emigrated to Palestine in 1939, escaping on the last train abroad after the Nazi German army invaded Czechoslovakia. In Tel Aviv Brod was hailed as an important Jewish author. He worked as a consultant for the Habimah, which became the Israel…

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Citation: Saur, Pamela S.. "Max Brod". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11962, accessed 19 March 2024.]

11962 Max Brod 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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