15 Facts About Franz Kafka: From Law Degree to Posthumous Fame

Franz Kafka (1883–1924), a prominent writer in the German language hailing from Prague, stands as a significant figure in 20th-century literature. He was born into a Jewish middle-class household in the Kingdom of Bohemia and pursued law studies at Charles University from 1901 to 1906, where he formed a friendship with Max Brod. Kafka's intricate ties to Prague led to his recognition only after the fall of the Iron Curtain, culminating in the establishment of the Franz Kafka Society in 1990 and the opening of a museum in 2005. In 1923, he relocated to Berlin with Dora Diamant, but succumbed to tuberculosis in June 1924. Although he destroyed 90% of his writings, Brod ensured their posthumous publication. A legal dispute over his manuscripts concluded in 2016, favoring the National Library of Israel. The term 'Kafkaesque' has come to define absurd situations, with his works gaining prominence after World War II.