Karl Kraus Anti-War Epic Returns to Print

Karl Kraus is best known for his work with the publication Die Fackel (The Torch). He directed and largely wrote the magazine himself from 1899 until his death in 1936.

Operating from the center of a Europe increasingly drawn toward barbarism, Kraus utilized the magazine to publish a vast array of literary genres. His output included articles, essays, studies, poems, songs, theater, citations, letters, aphorisms, and satires.

The sheer volume of his work was immense, totaling approximately 30,000 pages. This extensive collection of writings served as a chronicle of the times and a critique of the prevailing culture.

Kraus's writing style and content often caused a stir in society. His satires and critiques specifically provoked the Austro-Hungarian bourgeoisie.

Despite—or perhaps because of—this controversy, his work was widely respected by other literary figures of the time. He garnered the admiration of notable writers such as:

• Franz Kafka
• Bertolt Brecht
• Walter Benjamin
• Robert Musil
• Georg Trakl
• Arthur Schnitzler
• Elias Canetti

Among these contemporaries, the text notes that Kraus's work was held in the highest regard by Elias Canetti.

The release of this new edition brings renewed attention to Kraus's epic work, Los últimos días de la humanidad (The Last Days of Humanity). It serves as a return to a text that offers a deep look into a Europe facing the horrors of war.

This marks the first time the work has been available in Spain in three decades. The publication highlights the enduring relevance of Kraus's observations on war and national sentiment.