Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis

Who is Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis?

Wilhelm Stepper-Tristis was an Austro-Hungarian, Hungarian and Romanian novelist, journalist, and literary critic. He wrote his works in German, Hungarian and French. A communist militant during his youth, he actively supported the Hungarian Soviet Republic, and, during the interwar period, was a prominent figure in the cultural life of Timişoara city. His first novel, Brom-Delirium, was a critically acclaimed portrayal of Bohemian lifestyles.

An anti-fascist, Stepper-Tristis traveled extensively throughout Europe, preaching pacifism and drawing support for the League of Nations. He lived for a while in France, but was mostly reduced to homelessness and vagabondage. He joined the French Resistance following the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, was captured, and probably died in a concentration camp.