Marie Luise Kaschnitz

Who was Marie Luise Kaschnitz?

Marie Luise Kaschnitz was a German short story writer, novelist, essayist and poet. She is considered to be one of the leading post-war German poets.

She was born in Karlsruhe. She married archaeologist Guido Freiherr Von Kaschnitz-Weinberg in 1925, and travelled with him on archaeological expeditions.

She received high praise for her short stories, many of which were inspired by events in her life, complemented by her personal reminiscences. These stories were collected in books such as Orte and Engelsbrücke. She enjoyed travel greatly and her tales make use of diverse settings. They are thoughtful in nature, rather than eventful, often dealing with particular stages in a woman's life or a relationship. Her main collection is Lange Schatten. Her favorite story was 1961's "Das dicke Kind".

Her post-war essay collection in Menschen und Dinge 1945 established her reputation in Germany. Her poems dealt with the war and the early post-war period, often expressing a yearning for a peaceful past, but also hope for the future. In the volume Dein Schweigen - meine Stimme she dealt with the death of her husband. After 1960 she became influenced by Pablo Neruda.