Alfred Mombert

Mombert, Alfred (Karlsruhe, 1872-1942, Winterthur, Switzerland), was a lawyer who turned to writing. He was influenced by Nietzsche and devoted his efforts to writing rhythmic works of mythological character. He was also interested in the occult and in the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. As a Jew he was expelled from the Sektion Dichtkunst of the Prussian Academy (see Akademien) in 1933, declined to emigrate, and was sent in 1940 to a concentration camp. When seriously ill he was rescued by a friend, H. Reinhart, in 1941 and allowed into Switzerland. Among his numerous poetic works are Der Glühende (1896), Die Schöpfung (1897), Der Denker (1901), Die Blüte des Chaos (1905), and Der Held der Erde (1919). He also wrote a dramatic trilogy Aeon, composed of Aeon der Weltgesuchte (1907), Aeon zwischen den Frauen (1910), and Aeon von Syrakus (1911).

Mombert's collected works, Dichtungen (3 vols.), ed. E. Herberg, appeared in 1963, a select edition of his poetry, Hundert Gedichte vom Himmlischen Zecher, in 1992. Collections of correspondence include Briefe an R. und Ida Dehmel, ed. H. Wolffheim (1956) and Briefe 1893-1942, ed. B. J. Morse (1961).