Jacob Wassermann

Jacob Wassermann was a German-Jewish writer born on March 10, 1873, in Fürth, Bavaria. He was the son of a shopkeeper and grew up in a modest household. Wassermann was a self-taught writer who began his career as a journalist and later turned to fiction writing. Wassermann's early works were influenced by the naturalist movement, which emphasized the importance of scientific observation and the portrayal of everyday life. His first novel, "Melusine," was published in 1898 and was followed by "Der Moloch" (1902) and "Die Juden von Zirndorf" (1905). Wassermann's breakthrough came with the publication of his novel "Caspar Hauser oder Die Trägheit des Herzens" (1908), which was based on the true story of a young man who was found wandering the streets of Nuremberg in 1828 and claimed to have been kept in isolation for most of his life. The novel was a critical and commercial success and established Wassermann as one of the leading writers of his time. Wassermann's other notable works include "Christian Wahnschaff