German Diaries

Samuel Beckett only kept a diary for an extended period of time once in his life, and that was on his extensive travels through Germany from September 1936 to April 1937, which saw him visiting cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, and Munich. The six extensive notebooks he filled during this time ended up among his literary remains.

The »German Diaries« represent the last significant unpublished writings by Beckett. They provide insights into the evolution of Beckett’s aesthetics in his critical confrontation with literature and visual art. But also into the motivations behind his decision to embark upon this trip. They are of historical significance because of the unerring eye with which the young Irish author views the Germany of the early Nazi years as a participant observer.

Beckett comes face to face with the effects of the Nazis’ cultural policies when he inspects pictures that have been removed from display in museums and placed in storage, and in conversations with artists and collectors. The entire text is shot through with sharply detailed observations on everyday life in Hitler’s Germany.

In addition to Beckett’s notes, which are scattered with German words and turns of phrase and published here for the very first time, the publication also includes annotations from the editors, as well as an afterword by the editor and German translator, including overviews and a glossary, which help to decode the diaries.