Jura Soyfer and His Time Edited and Introduced by Donald G. Daviau

Jura Soyfer's rise from relative obscurity in his own time to a literary prominence that has elevated him to inclusion in the literary canon today must be regarded as one of the unique occurrences of twentieth-century Austrian literary history. His significance as one of the few fearless Austrian writers of his time who took a direct and uncompromising stance against National Socialism has been augmented in recent years by research into his writings which demonstrates not only their political importance, but also their literary qualities. The essays contained in this volume document clearly that Soyfer's achievements merit the international critical attention and the respect that they are being accorded today. When one recognizes that these exceptional contributions were made by a young man who had the misfortune to die at the age of twenty-six, one has to esteem him even more as a peer of Georg Buchner and Heinrich von Kleist.