Bequeathed Writings and Poems of Hermann Lauscher

"I cannot read Hermann Hesse without feeling that I am drawn into the presence of a deeply serious mind, a mind that is searching for the meaning of life." - Carl Jung A new 2023 translation of Herman Hesse's 1900 " "Bequeathed Writings and Poems of Hermann Lauscher". This edition also contains an epilogue by the translator, a philosophical glossary of concepts used by Hesse and a chronology of his life and work. Hesse won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947. He also received the Goethe Prize of Frankfurt in 1946 and the 1955 Peace Prize of the German Booksellers. Hesse's "Bequeathed Writings and Poems of Hermann Lauscher" (Hinterlassene Schriften und Gedichte von Hermann Lauscher) is a collection of nine poems and, in its second edition, an expanded number of five prose pieces, a departure from the original three. Written between 1896 and 1899, this literary work saw the light of day in November 1900, courtesy of the Reich bookshop in Basel. The work is intertwined with Hesse's association with the bookshop, where he had been employed since the autumn of 1899. Initially posing as an editor, Hesse's true identity as the author of the esteemed writings and poems he left behind was revealed in 1902, an unmasking attributed to Richard von Schaukal. These compositions, though partly autobiographical, found a confidante in Hesse's pen pal, Helene Voigt-Diederichs. In particular, the contents of the book provide a vivid insight into Hesse's formative years. "My Childhood" delves into memories of Hesse's early life in Basel from 1881 to 1886, while "The November Night" paints a canvas of his apprenticeship in Tübingen from 1895 to 1899. Meanwhile, The Diary 1900 reflects Hesse's experiences in Basel from 1899 onwards. The story "Lulu" immortalises Julie Hellmann (1878-1972) from Kirchheim. In a preface to the 1933 edition, Hesse openly reflects on his earlier work, acknowledging passages he had considered changing but decided not to, in order to preserve the authenticity of his youthful portrayal.