Kurt Held facts for kids

Kurt Kläber (1897–1959) was a German writer. He is better known by his pen name, Kurt Held. He had to leave Germany during World War II because of his political beliefs. He wrote many books, especially for children.

Kurt Held's Early Life

Kurt Kläber left school when he was 14 years old. He started learning to be a locksmith. Later, he trained as a mechanic at a company called Zeiss. He joined a youth group called the Wandervogelbewegung. With this group, he traveled through many countries in Europe. His travels ended when World War I began.

In 1914, he joined the German Army. He fought in World War I. During the war, he was injured. He also got a serious illness called typhoid fever.

Kurt Held's Political Journey

After the war, Kurt Kläber joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). He also joined a group called the Spartakusbund. He took part in armed protests in cities like Halle, Hamburg, and Berlin. He also joined a strike against the Kapp-Putsch.

He worked as a traveling book salesman. He sold political books for the Thüringen Ministry of Culture. These books included poems about society and novels about the struggles of working people. In 1919, he published his first book of poems. It was called Neue Saat, which means "new seed."

In 1923, he traveled to the United States. He spent a year there, giving talks and learning about workers' lives. His experiences in the USA inspired his first novel. It was called Passagiere der III. Klasse (Third Class Passengers). This book was written in 1923 but published in 1927.

Back in Germany in 1924, he married the writer Lisa Tetzner. They traveled together, promoting communist literature. Besides writing and giving talks, Kläber also worked in mines. He took other jobs to better understand working-class people. He joined a group called the Association of Proletarian-Revolutionary Authors. He also helped publish their journal, Linkskurve. Kurt Kläber became well-known for his knowledge of communist literature.

He was against the National Socialists. He was arrested the day after the Reichstag fire. With help from his wife, he was soon released. He then went to live in Carona, Switzerland. Switzerland was a neutral country during the war.

In 1938, he left the Communist Party. This was because he disagreed with Stalinism.

Kurt Held's Writing Career

His wife, Lisa, encouraged Kurt Kläber to focus on writing. Because of his exile, he could not publish books using his real name. So, he started using the pen name Kurt Held. He believed that children were the real victims of war and unfairness. His books showed children in a realistic way. They also taught important lessons about right and wrong.

His most famous book was "The Outsiders of Oskoken Castle". After this success, he wrote similar books about working-class children. These included "Der Trommler von Faido" (The Drummer of Faido) and "Matthias und seine Freunde" (Matthias and his Friends). He also wrote a four-book series called "Giuseppe und Maria."

Later Life and Death

Kurt Held died in Switzerland on December 9, 1959. He passed away from problems caused by the typhoid fever he got during World War I.

Kurt Held's Books

• Neue Saat (poetry) – 1919
• Empörer! Empor! (stories, sketches, travel reports) – 1925
• Revolutionäre. Erzählungen aus den Kämpfen des Proletariats (stories from workers' struggles) – 1925
• Barrikaden an der Ruhr (novel) – 1925
• Passagiere der 3. Klasse (novel) – 1927
• Die Toten von Pabjanice (narrations) – 1936
• Die rote Zora und ihre Bande (The Outsiders of Oskoken Castle) – 1941
• Der Trommler von Faido (historical tales) – 1947 / 1949
• Matthias und seine Freunde – 1950
• Spuk in Neuhausen – 1951
• Alles für zwanzig Rappen (experiences of a small rebel) – 1951
• Giuseppe und Maria (4 volumes) – 1955–56
• Mein Bruder Georg – 1955