The poet, playwright and novelist Franz Werfel became first active in early modernism, had a prominent standing among writers of German Expressionism and later wrote best-selling novels which established his international fame. His texts are still read by many around the world.

Franz Viktor Werfel was born in Prague, Bohemia (now Czech Republic), on 10 September 1890 as the first child of Albine and Rudolf Werfel, a prosperous glove factory owner. The Werfels were assimilated Jews, and young Franz was not raised in orthodoxy. Later in life, he learned Hebrew and studied the Talmud and the Bible in depth: an influence reflected in many of his works. Like his friends from Prague, Max Brod and Franz Kafka, Werfel never forgot his J

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First published 15 April 2005

Citation: Schweissinger, Marc J.. "Franz Werfel". The Literary Encyclopedia. 15 April 2005.
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