Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)[1] has been called “The Secret Superstar.” He was one of the world’s most popular writers of the 1920s and ‘30s. There were times when he had to barricade himself in his own home to avoid his fans who hung around just to get a glimpse of him or a few words with him.

Almost everything he wrote was consumed rapidly by an eager public. Today, you may have watched the popular Wes Anderson movie The Grand Budapest Hotel that was based in part on Stefan Zweig’s novels.[2]

His stardom shone brightly in musical circles, too.

His libretto was indispensible to the great composer Richard Strauss for his opera “Die Schweigsame Frau” (the Silent Woman).[3]

Strauss refused to bow to Nazi pressure to omit his Jewish friend’s work from the opera. Strauss insisted that Zweig’s name was included in the credits. The Nazi’s banned the opera after three performances.

Zweig was a great and prolific writer and artist. But though he had been patriotic throughout World War I, he could not cope with Germany’s cruel march across Europe. Zweig was a pacifist. He longed to see the spread of “Europeanism” instead of nationalism.

Countries getting along instead of making war—this was Stefan Zweig’s vision for tomorrow.

In 1942, the day after his autobiography (The World of Yesterday) was completed, Stefan Zweig committed suicide.

He wrote this note for us to remember him by, "I think it better to conclude in good time and in erect bearing a life in which intellectual labour meant the purest joy and personal freedom the highest good on Earth."

Image: Stefan Zweig, photo found online in public domain

[1] See: http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/stefan-zweig-secret-superstar

[2] See: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0959003/

[3] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Zweig#