German literature in the 20th century not only produced some remarkable writing, but also some remarkable personalities. The intense interaction between literary aesthetics and political ideology that characterizes so much of the modern period has often resulted in a vexing complexity in the relationship between personality and work. Ernst Jünger presents us with an outstanding instance of this problem. As a young man, he became a contentious figure for his enthusiastic account of his heroic achievements in the 1914-18 war and his interpretation of how it had shaped his generation for a new world of conflict. He remained controversial until his death at the age of 102 as a representative of ultra-conservative values. His …
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Citation: Bullock, Marcus. "Ernst Jünger". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 August 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5812, accessed 21 November 2024.]
