Gottfried Benn

Gottfried Benn (1886–1956) was a German physician, poet, and essayist, and a major representative of literary Expressionism. He studied medicine in Berlin, served as a military doctor during the First World War, and later worked as a specialist in dermatology and venereal diseases. He became known for the poetry collection »Morgue und andere Gedichte« (1912). Other notable works include »Gehirne« (1916) and »Statische Gedichte« (1948). After initially expressing public support for National Socialism, Benn distanced himself from the regime and was later banned from publishing. In 1951, he was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize.