Jewish Student Weekly

Franz Kafka is one of the best known Jews of all time. One of the world’s most favorite authors, Kafka was born in 1883 to a middle class Jewish family in Prague which is now a part of the Czech Republic. He has had a huge impact on literature in the west. Most of his works were unfinished at the time of his death at the age of 41 and were published posthumously.

He was the oldest of his parent’s six children and was raised mostly by governesses and servants because both his parents used to be away from home managing their business. Kafka’s family was one of the many affected by the vendetta against Jews. His sisters were all sent to Litzmannstadt Ghetto; a ghetto established specially for Jews so that they did not come in contact with non-Jews.  His youngest sister Ottla was sent to a concentration camp and was then gassed to death at a death camp.

Though Kafka’s first language was German he was also fluent in Czech and had learnt a bit of French by reading French authors. He studies law and was also a clerk at the civil and criminal courts at Prague. He was greatly taken by Yiddish theater and this was thause of his increasing faith in Judaism.  Kafka did not publish any books before his death. Metamorphosis was his only published work which is considered to be a short story.  He has several museums started in his name in Prague and the term “Kafkaesque” has been coined after him. He has also inspired a great number of films on his life and work. 

Kafka is believed have suffered from clinical depression and some social problems. In 1917 he developed tuberculosis and over the years developed many medical conditions. Later his tuberculosis grew so bad that the condition of his throat did not permit him to eat. He apparently died of starvation in 1924 at the age of 41 in Vienna.