Jakob van Hoddis

His most famous poem Weltende (End of the world), published on 11 January 1911 in the Der Demokrat magazine, is generally regarded as ushering in the Expressionist style of poetry[1] and inspired many other poets to write in a similarly grotesque style; he is also seen as perhaps the only German predecessor of surrealism (which did not exist as a movement in Germany).

Born in Berlin, he was the oldest son of the public health doctor Hermann Davidsohn and his wife Doris, née Kempner.

He attended the renowned Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium; however, due to his temper (although he was extremely intelligent), he was not a successful student.

Later he returned to Berlin and continued his studies at the Frederick William University; here he met law graduate Kurt Hiller who encouraged him to develop his literary talents.

Not only was he expelled from university for inactivity, but he lost his close friends, Georg Heym and Ernst Balcke, who both drowned in January 1912 ice-skating on the Havel river.

He left Berlin for Munich, turned to Catholicism and, after he suffered a nervous breakdown, voluntarily entered a mental hospital.

In 1933, immediately after Hitler's nomination as Reich Chancellor, Van Hoddis' family escaped to Tel Aviv (where his broken-hearted mother died a few months later).

[3] Van Hoddis published numerous poems, characterised by cipher-like Dadaistic elements, in literary magazines such as Die Aktion or Der Sturm.

[4] Weltende Dem Bürger fliegt vom spitzen Kopf der Hut, In allen Lüften hallt es wie Geschrei, Dachdecker stürzen ab und gehn entzwei.

Der Sturm ist da, die wilden Meere hupfen An Land, um dicke Dämme zu zerdrücken.

Weltende is referenced in a poem by Catalan author Gabriel Ferrater called Fi del món ("End of the world"), which paraphrases some of its images.