Emil Ludwig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emil Ludwig
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| Born |
Emil Cohn
25 January 1881 |
| Died | 17 September 1948 (aged 67) Ascona, Switzerland
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| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | German and Swiss |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist |
| Known for | Writing biographies |
Emil Ludwig (born January 25, 1881 – died September 17, 1948) was a famous German-Swiss writer. He was best known for writing biographies, which are books about the lives of important historical figures.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Emil Ludwig was born as Emil Cohn in Breslau on January 25, 1881. Breslau is now part of Poland. He came from a Jewish family. Even though he was raised without a specific religion, he later strongly identified as Jewish. He once said that he felt Jewish after a terrible event in 1922.
Ludwig first studied law, but he decided to become a writer. He started by writing plays and short stories. He also worked as a journalist. In 1906, he moved to Switzerland.
Reporting During World War I
During World War I, Emil Ludwig worked as a foreign correspondent. This meant he reported news from other countries. He wrote for the Berliner Tageblatt newspaper. He reported from cities like Vienna and Istanbul.
In 1932, he became a citizen of Switzerland. Later, in 1940, he moved to the United States.
Famous Biographies
During the 1920s, Emil Ludwig became very famous around the world. This was because of his popular biographies. His books mixed real historical facts with interesting stories. He also tried to understand the minds of the people he wrote about.
After his book about Goethe came out in 1920, he wrote many more. These included biographies of Bismarck (1922–24) and Jesus (1928). Ludwig's books were popular outside of Germany. They were translated into many languages. This meant he had an income even when he lived in the United States.
Meeting World Leaders
Emil Ludwig had the chance to interview many important leaders. He spoke with Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy. On December 1, 1929, he interviewed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk was the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Their talk appeared in a newspaper in March 1930. They discussed topics like religion and music.
Ludwig also interviewed Joseph Stalin in Moscow on December 13, 1931. A part of this interview is even in Stalin's book about Lenin. Ludwig wrote about this interview in his own biography of Stalin.
He also had long talks with T.G. Masaryk. Masaryk was the first president of Czechoslovakia. These interviews were published in a book called Defender of Democracy in 1936.
Later Life and Legacy
At the end of World War II, Emil Ludwig went back to Germany as a journalist. He helped find the coffins of famous writers Goethe and Schiller. Their coffins had disappeared from Weimar during the war.
After the war, he returned to Switzerland. He passed away in 1948 in Moscia. This is a small area near Ascona in the Italian part of Switzerland.
Speaking Out During the War
In 1944, Ludwig wrote a letter to The New York Times. He suggested that the Allies could use Hitler's hatred of Jews against him. He thought the Allies should warn the German people. They could say that harming more Jews would lead to severe consequences after the war. Ludwig believed this might create disagreements between Nazi leaders and other Germans.
Emil Ludwig died peacefully in his sleep on September 17, 1948.
Writing Style
Emil Ludwig was known for his unique writing style. He used strong words and dramatic quotes. He combined facts with popular stories and rumors. This made his books, like "Napoleon", feel like an exciting journey.
His detailed descriptions and psychological insights made the characters seem like heroes. He had a special way of making complex political events easy to understand and interesting to read.
Books by Emil Ludwig
- Leaders of Europe (1934)
- Bismarck
- Cleopatra
- Goethe
- Hindenburg (1935)
- July '14 (1929)
- Kaiser Wilhelm II: Wilhelm Hohenzollern (1926)
- Lincoln
- Napoleon (1922)
- Son of Man (Jesus)
- Talks with Mussolini
- The Nile: The Life-Story of a River (1937)
- Mackenzie King. A Portrait Sketch (1944)
- Three Titans: Michael Angelo, Rembrandt, Beethoven (1930)
See also
- Exilliteratur
In Spanish: Emil Ludwig para niños
