Reiner Stach

Reiner Stach is an author. He was born in Rochlitz, Saxony, in 1951. He now lives in Berlin. He studied philosophy, literature and mathematics, and after his PhD he initially worked as an editor. In 1999 he compiled the Kafka’s Bride exhibition from the estate of Felice Bauer, Franz Kafka’s fiancée. As well as other books about Franz Kafka’s life and works, Reiner Stach wrote a three-volume biography of the author, which was published by S. Fischer Verlag: Kafka. Die Jahre der Entscheidungen (Kafka. The Decisive Years) was published in 2002, a book about the years 1910 to 1915 – during which Kafka wrote Das Urteil (The Judgment), Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), Der Verschollene (Amerika) (The Man Who Disappeared (America)) and Der Process (The Trial) in quick succession. The second volume was published in 2008 under the title Kafka. Die Jahre der Erkenntnis (Kafka. The Years of Realization), which looks at the years from 1916 up to Kafka’s death in 1924. And in 2014 Reiner Stach rounded off the trilogy with the volume Kafka. Die frühen Jahre (Kafka. The Early Years), about Kafka’s childhood, adolescence, university experiences and the first few years of his career.