Hermann Broch

Hermann Broch was born in Vienna in 1886. Initially, he worked in his father's textile factory, but in 1925, as he approached forty, he left his position to study mathematics, philosophy, and psychology at the University of Vienna. In 1932, his first novel, "The Sleepwalkers," was published, but due to the prevailing conditions in Germany and Austria at the time, it was only recognized by literary circles. Immediately after the annexation of Austria by the Nazis, Broch was arrested by the Gestapo. He was released through the intervention of his friends, especially James Joyce. He emigrated to America, where he completed his most significant work, "The Death of Virgil." Broch died in 1951 in New Haven. In addition to novels, he also wrote poems, plays, as well as critical and philosophical essays.