This compelling work explores the profound experiences of persecution and exile as seen through the interconnected lives of three remarkable writers: Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth and Walter Benjamin. All three were displaced and hunted to death by fascism. Their literary brilliance, tumultuous lives and tragic ends continue to captivate the imagination and inspire. By bringing together the extraordinary stories of Zweig, Roth and Benjamin for the first time in a single overview, Richard Harper offers a thought-provoking examination of the meaning and feeling of displacement, so highly relevant to the widespread and challenging issues of persecution and migration today.
Arvustused
"Three dazzling but doomed literary talents. Three interlocking biographies drawn from the darkest chapter of Jewish experience in 20th century Europe. Richard Harper's concise and commanding account of the shared destinies of Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth and Walter Benjamin wraps the harrowing realities of exile around philosophical questions of art, nationalism and Jewish identity. As we face a growing refugee crisis today, the message of 'Displacement' could not be more relevant."
Jeremy Myerson, Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art
Displacement: Zweig, Roth and Benjamin is a timely study of three powerful writers whose lives were suddenly upended by the Nazis coming to power. Like millions of others, they were forced from their homes and places of safety. As contributors to a radical literary Mitteleuropa in the 1920s and 1930s, they found themselves displaced from the cultural worlds that they inhabited and shaped. In this neat and thoughtful survey of their overlapping lives and times, Richard Harper reminds us why we should read and re-read these writers again today. As he shows, they are a warning sign of how the seemingly secure foundations of civilised society can collapse when persecution and hatred become a new kind of orthodoxy.
Dr Mark Donnelly, Associate Professor, History, St Marys University, Twickenham
Muu info
Displacement: Zweig, Roth & BenjaminJewish Book Week 2025 Speaker Richard Harper Chair Trudy Gold
In his second book, Displacement, Richard Harper explores the profound impact of fascism on three iconic writers.In conversation with historian Trudy Gold, he examines the lives and literary legacies of Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth, and Walter Benjamineach of whom created enduring works while facing persecution and exile. A former judge and barrister, Richard Harper brings a unique perspective to artistic expression and the ongoing struggle against oppression, offering a compelling look at these writers resilience and relevance today.
This event will last approximately 1 hour, without an interval.
Through the intertwined stories of Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth, and Walter Benjamin, Richard Harper examines the devastating impact of fascism on three brilliant Jewish writers. Their shared experiences of persecution and exile, culminating in their tragic deaths, offer profound insights into displacementa theme that resonates powerfully with today's global refugee crisis. This groundbreaking work brings their compelling narratives together for the first time, illuminating timeless questions of identity, survival, and the human cost of political upheaval.
The "Displaced: Stories of Exile, Resistance & Hope" campaign launches on 9 March, exploring exile through the interconnected narratives of Stefan Zweig, Joseph Roth, and Walter Benjamin. This campaign links historical and literary persecution with contemporary refugee experiences through partnerships with the Jewish Literary Foundation and refugee advocacy groups. Programming includes panel discussions, university lectures, and readings, all supported by virtual events for a global audience. The campaigns outreach targets academic institutions, literary organisations, and human rights groups through academic journals, festivals, and migration policy conferences. This coordinated effort positions the work as both a historical analysis and a contemporary commentary on global displacement, fostering dialogue between scholarly research and current humanitarian advocacy. The campaign highlights the enduring relevance of these writers' experiences to modern migration discourse across multiple channels.
Contents
Introduction
.............................................................................
............... 6
Chapter 1
The Works of Zweig, Roth and Benjamin ................................. 9
Chapter 2
Zweig, Roth and Benjamin: Their Backgrounds .................... 26
Chapter 3
Zweig, Roth and Benjamin: Their Suspicions
of Nationalism
.............................................................................
...... 32
Chapter 4
Zweig, Roth and Benjamin: Their Jewish Identities ............. 37
Chapter 5
Rabid Antisemitism at the turn of the 20th Century ............. 42
Chapter 6
The Participation (or otherwise) of Zweig, Roth and
Benjamin in World War 1
.............................................................. 53
Chapter 7
Displacement of Persons in Weimar Berlin ............................ 57
Chapter 8
Displacement of Jews in Europe between
1933 and 1940
.............................................................................
....... 62
Chapter 9
Zweig, Roth, Benjamin: Their attitudes towards
the creation of a Jewish State
....................................................... 67
Chapter 10
Benjamin, Roth and Zweig: Forced to Flee
into Exile
.............................................................................
................ 76
Chapter 11
Zweig Roth and Benjamin: Their Lives in Exile ..................... 81
Chapter 12
The relationships between Zweig,
Roth and Benjamin
......................................................................... 87
Chapter 13
The friendships of Zweig,
Roth and Benjamin with others
.................................................. 97
Chapter 14
The psychological vulnerabilities of Benjamin,
Zweig and Roth
.............................................................................
..... 110
Chapter 15
Zweig, Roth and Benjamin: Their Final Journeys ................. 117
Chapter 16
Zweig, Roth and Benjamin:
A Reflective Overview
.................................................................... 124
Epilogue
.............................................................................
...................... 132
Dedication
.............................................................................
.................. 133
Acknowledgements
.............................................................................
.. 135
Bibliography
.............................................................................
.............. 136
Index
.............................................................................
............................ 139
About the Author
.............................................................................
..... 142
Having studied law at Magdalen College Oxford, Richard
Harper practised as a barrister and then sat as a family law
judge. During his judicial career he has written on medical
treatment and the law relating to the protection of children
and vulnerable adults. He now writes and lectures on
the overall law relating to the protection of children, and
DISPLACEMENT is his first work of nonfiction outside of the
law. The connecting theme of Harpers writing is examining
injustice and how it may be ameliorated. He lives with his
family in West London.
