Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924

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Franz Kafka (b. July 3, 1883, Prague, Czech Republic–d. June 3, 1924, Klosterneuburg, Austria) was a novelist and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work, which fuses elements of realism and the fantastic, typically features isolated protagonists faced by bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible social-bureaucratic powers, and has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity. His best known works include "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle). The term Kafkaesque has entered the English language to describe situations like those in his writing.

Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, today part of the Czech Republic. He trained as a lawyer, and after completing his legal education he was employed by an insurance company, forcing him to relegate writing to his spare time. Over the course of his life, Kafka wrote hundreds of letters to family and close friends, including his father, with whom he had a strained and formal relationship. He became engaged to several women but never married. He died in 1924 at the age of 40 from tuberculosis.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Lucille Lortel papers The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Gentzler, J. Mason. Reading the World : culture as context, or what can Chuang Tzu tell us about Kafka? [sound recording] / Mason Gentzler. Sarah Lawrence College, Esther Raushenbush Library
creatorOf CentreStage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph). The Trial / a dramatization by Andre Gide and Jean-Louis Barrault, based on Franz Kafka's novel, translated into English by Leon Katz and Joseph Katz ; directed by Kurt Reis, 1972. - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Olsen, Tim, 1961-. Betrachtung : for soprano, string quartet, and piano / music: Tim Olsen (1993) ; text: Franz Kafka (1913). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Oredson, Sue. The function of the scapegoat ritual in three twentieth century writers / Sue Oredson. Macalester College, DeWitt Wallace Library
referencedIn Eric W. Carlson Papers, 1942-2004 Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Camus, Albert, 1913-1960. Le mythe de Sisyphe : essai sur l'absurde, 1938-1942. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Wright, Garland. K : impressions of The trial by Franz Kafka / adapted by Garland Wright, 1995. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924. Correspondence with Alma Mahler and Franz Werfel, 1913-1934. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf CentreStage Theatre Archives. The Trial / by Franz Kafka ; directed by Kurt Reis, 1972 - production photos. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Leal, Luis, 1907-2010. Luis Leal papers, 1946-1985. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Seidlin, Oskar, 1911-1984. Three witnesses to our crisis : radio transcripts, [194-?]-1955. Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Donald and Katharine Foley Collection of Penguin Books, post 1965 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Theatre Passe Muraille Archives. Trial / by Sally Clark ; adapted from Franz Kafka, 1985 - unproduced reading script. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Arendt, Hannah, 1906-1975. The Papers of Richard & Clara Winston, 196?-198? Brooklyn College
referencedIn Sitwell, Edith, 1887-1964. Autograph letter signed : Montagnana, Italy, to Jane Clark, 1954 Oct. 10. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil Collection, 1753-1996 Leo Baeck Institute.
referencedIn Meno Spann (1903-1991) Papers, 1903-1991 Northwestern University Archives
referencedIn Hubben, William, 1895-1974. Papers, 1906-1976. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
referencedIn Smith, Kenneth, 1943-. Kafka : antisoul in an antiworld / Kenneth Smith. Texas State University-San Marcos, Albert B. Alkek Library
creatorOf Agor, Yaʻaḳov. 880-01 Meṭamorfozah. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Golub, Peter, 1952-. A fable : for flute, oboe, clarinet, and voice / [words] by Franz Kafka, translated by Willa and Edwin Muir ; [music] by Peter Golub. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Canadian Stage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph). The Trial of Judith K. / by Sally Clark ; based on the novel by Franz Kafka ; directed by Richard Greenblatt, 1989 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924. Ein Hungerkünstler [Multimédia multisupport] / Franz Kafka, aut. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924. Ein Hungerkünstler [Multimédia multisupport] / Franz Kafka, aut. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
referencedIn New Directions Publishing records Houghton Library
creatorOf Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924. The castle: typescript, 2002. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Heiss, Hermann, 1897-1966. Aus Expression K : für Singstimme u. Klavier / Hermann Heiss. Northwestern University
creatorOf Transition. Papers of the magazine Transition, 1933-1941. Houghton Library
referencedIn Papers of the magazine Transition, 1933-1941. Houghton Library
creatorOf Agor, Yaʻaḳov. 880-01 ha-Mishpaṭ. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
referencedIn Manuscripts and proofs of New Directions books, 1937-1997. Houghton Library
creatorOf Murray, Michael, 1964-. In the penal colony : an opera in one act / by Michael Murray. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Hoy, Peter C. Papers, 1962-1964 [manuscript]. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Voznesensky, Andrei, 1933-2010. Andrei Voznesenskii papers, 1955-2004 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf CentreStage Theatre Archives. The Trial / dramatization by Andre Gide and Jean-Lois Barrault, based on novel by Franz Kafka ; translated by Leon Katz and Joseph Katz ; directed by Kurt Reis, 1972 - performance file. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Urzidil, Gertrude, 1898-1977. Address on Franz Kafka and the literary movement of the 1920s [manuscript], ca. 1950. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Agor, Yaʻaḳov. 880-01 Meṭamorfozah. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Canadian Stage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph). The Trial of Judith K. / by Sally Clark ; based on the novel by Franz Kafka ; directed by Richard Greenblatt, 1989 - production photos. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Jenkin, Len. A country doctor / by Len Jenkin ; based on the story by Franz Kafka, 1989. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Kurt Wolff archive, 1907-1938 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Manuscript music compositions, 1880-1985. Houghton Library
creatorOf Agor, Yaʻaḳov. 880-01 ha-Mishpaṭ. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
referencedIn Kubin, Alfred, 1877-1959. Letters, 1909-1947. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Schocken Books. Records on Franz Kafka, 1940-1977. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Meyer, Kathleen. The alienated man in the works of Kafka and Ionesco / Kathleen Meyer. Macalester College, DeWitt Wallace Library
referencedIn Karl, Frederick Robert, 1927-. Papers, 1961-1996. University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries
referencedIn Donald and Katharine Foley Collection of Penguin Books, 1935-1965 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Rudolf Kolisch papers, 1886-1978. Houghton Library
referencedIn Helen and Kurt Wolff papers, 1888-1994 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Role Title Holding Repository

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Relation Name
associatedWith Binder, Hartmut. person
associatedWith Brod, Max, 1884-1968. person
associatedWith Camus, Albert, 1913-1960. person
associatedWith Canadian Stage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Canadian Stage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Carlson, Eric W. person
associatedWith CentreStage Theatre Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith CentreStage Theatre Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith CentreStage Theatre Archives (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Fishelson, David. person
associatedWith Foley, Donald L. person
associatedWith Foley, Katharine person
associatedWith Foley, Katharine person
associatedWith Gentzler, J. Mason person
associatedWith Golub, Peter, 1952- person
associatedWith Haas, Willy, 1891-1973. person
associatedWith Heiss, Hermann, 1897-1966. person
associatedWith Hoy, Peter C. person
associatedWith Hubben, William, 1895-1974. person
associatedWith Jenkin, Len. person
associatedWith Johannes, 1896-1977 and Gertrude, 1898-1977 person
associatedWith Karl, Frederick Robert, 1927- person
associatedWith Klopstock, Robert, 1899-1972. person
associatedWith Kolisch, Rudolf, 1896-1978 person
associatedWith Kubin, Alfred, 1877-1959. person
associatedWith Leal, Luis, 1907-2010. person
associatedWith Leichter, Aaron. person
associatedWith Lortel, Lucille person
associatedWith Meyer, Kathleen. person
associatedWith Moldenhauer, Hans person
associatedWith Moldenhauer, Hans person
associatedWith Murray, Michael, 1964- person
associatedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
associatedWith New York Public Library, Billy Rose Theatre Collection, Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Olsen, Tim, 1961- person
associatedWith Oredson, Sue. person
associatedWith Pinthus, Kurt, 1886-1975. person
associatedWith Politzer, Heinz, 1910-1978. person
associatedWith Riley, Lyman W. person
associatedWith Saddler, Donald person
associatedWith Schocken Books. corporateBody
associatedWith Seidlin, Oskar, 1911-1984. person
associatedWith Sitwell, Edith, 1887-1964. person
associatedWith Smith, Kenneth, 1943- person
associatedWith Spann, Meno, 1903-1991 person
associatedWith Theatre Passe Muraille Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Transition. corporateBody
associatedWith Transition. corporateBody
associatedWith Urzidil, Gertrude, 1898-1977. person
associatedWith Voznesenskii, A. (Andrei) person
associatedWith Voznesenskii, A. (Andrei) person
associatedWith Wolff, Helen, 1906-1994. person
associatedWith Wolff, Kurt, 1887-1963. person
associatedWith Wright, Garland. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Klosterneuburg 03 AT
Prague 52 CZ
Republic of Austria 00 AT
Czechoslovakia 00 CZ
Subject
Fiction
Occupation
Novelists
Activity

Person

Birth 1883-07-03

Death 1924-06-03

Serbia and Montenegro

German,

English

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