Werfel, Franz (1890–1945)

Austrian poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was a leading expressionist. His works include the poem ‘Der Weltfreund der Gerichtstag/The Day of Judgment’ (1919); the plays Juarez und Maximilian (1924) and Das Reich Gottes in Böhmen/The Kingdom of God in Bohemia (1930); and the novels Verdi (1924) and Das Lied von Bernadette/The Song of Bernadette (1941).

Born in Prague, he lived in Germany, Austria, and France, and in 1940 escaped from a French concentration camp to the USA, where he died. In 1929 he married Alma Mahler, widow of the composer Gustav Mahler.

In addition to his novel based on Giuseppe Verdi's life, he translated many of the composer's operas, including La Forza del Destino/The Force of Destiny and Don Carlos. His own writings inspired many other composers, including Darius Milhaud's opera Maximilien, Aribert Reimann's Troades, and Ernst Krenek's cantata Zwingburg.