Driven by a powerful surge into modernity, 1913 brought the long 19th century to a swift end. The result is a wonderful collage of a particularly overwrought and febrile year populated with people in a state of nervous exhaustion. One of his greatest achievements lies in the ability to portray the central protagonists of that year as human beings with all their fears, quirky idiosyncrasies and ailments. Formerly an arts journalist, Illies has been managing partner of the auction house Villa Grisebach since 2011.įor years, Illies sifted through letters, diaries and newspapers in search of the experiences and thoughts of key players from the world of arts, music, science and literature. Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts,” Florian Illies shows us, by contrast, it was a year of tremendous cultural activity. In his absorbing non-fiction narrative, “1913. Wedged between two catastrophes - the sinking of the Titanic and the outbreak of the First World War - it served mostly as a stopgap. Until now, the year 1913 has received little attention. Might this have been the reason he invented twelve-tone music? The composer Arnold Schoenberg also was horror-stricken by anything having to do with the number thirteen. On New Year’s day1913, Franz Kafka imagined himself being decapitated and blamed it on the unlucky number. At least that was the case a hundred years ago. Those who fear the number thirteen are probably a bit unnerved this year.

1913 florian