Kurt Tucholsky
Kurt Tucholsky was a German-Jewish journalist, satirist and writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Kaspar Hauser, Peter Panter, Theobald Tiger, and Ignaz Wrobel. Born in Berlin-Moabit, he moved to Paris in 1924 and then to Sweden in 1930.
Tucholsky was one of the most important journalists of the Weimar Republic. As a politically engaged journalist and temporary co-editor of the weekly magazine Die Weltbühne he proved himself to be a social critic in the tradition of Heinrich Heine. He was simultaneously a satirist, an author of satirical political revues, a songwriter, and a poet. He saw himself as a left-wing democrat and pacifist and warned against anti-democratic tendencies—above all in politics, the military, and justice—and the threat of National Socialism. His fears were confirmed when the Nazis came to power in 1933: his books were listed on the Nazi's censorship as "Entartete Kunst" ("Degenerate Art") and burned, and he lost his German citizenship.
“Those who hate so fervently, must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world, must have once embraced what they now set on fire.”
“Der Deutsche fährt nicht wie andere Menschen. Er fährt, um recht zu haben.”
“The world isn't purposeful. It isn't ruled by reason. The world wants to play. Fashion queens have always aroused more interest than future generations and their fate.”
“Expect nothing. Today: that is your life.”
“Der Vorteil der Klugheit besteht darin, daß man sich dumm stellen kann. Das Gegenteil ist schon schwieriger.”
“Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire.”
“[K]urzes Glück: Es ist wohl kein anderes denkbar [...]”
“Kurzes Glück kann jeder.”
“[Der Zoll] ist ein Gesellschaftsspiel und eine Religion, die Religion der Vaterländer.”
“آدمیزاد دو تا پا داره و دو تا اعتقاد: یکی برای وقتی که حاش روبهراهه و یکی هم برای موقعی که حالش خرابه. اسم این دومی رو گذاشته دین.”