Nelly Sachs

Nelly Sachs was born on December 10, 1891, in Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany. She was the only child of a wealthy industrialist, and she grew up in Berlin where she was educated privately. Her early life was spent in a secure environment that valued cultural enrichment, which deeply influenced her future writing and poetry.

On May 16, 1940, Nelly Sachs and her mother fled Nazi Germany for Sweden with the assistance of her friend, the Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf. This move likely saved her life, as she found refuge from the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of many of her relatives and friends left behind.

In 1947, Nelly Sachs published her first collection of poems in Sweden, titled 'In den Wohnungen des Todes' (In the Houses of Death). This work reflected her experiences and the trauma she endured during the Holocaust. It marked the beginning of her recognition as a significant post-war poet in Europe.

In 1966, Nelly Sachs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she shared with the Israeli writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon. She was recognized for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interpreted Israel's destiny with touching strength and emotional depth, especially in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

On December 10, 1966, Nelly Sachs delivered her Nobel Lecture titled 'Speech for the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm'. In her speech, she expressed gratitude and reflected on her experiences, focusing on themes of persecution, exile, and the Holocaust. Her speech was emotional and poignant.

Nelly Sachs passed away on May 12, 1970, in Stockholm, Sweden. Her death marked the end of a life filled with creativity, pain, and profound literary contributions. Throughout her life, she used her art as a means to process the trauma of the Holocaust and its impact on her Jewish identity and community.