HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ernst Jünger (; 29 March 1895 – 17 February 1998) was a German author, highly decorated soldier, philosopher, and
entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
who became publicly known for his
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
memoir '' Storm of Steel''. The son of a successful businessman and chemist, Jünger rebelled against an affluent upbringing and sought adventure in the '' Wandervogel'' German youth movement, before running away to briefly serve in the French Foreign Legion, which was an illegal act in Germany. However, he escaped prosecution due to his father's efforts and was able to enlist in the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
on the outbreak of World War I in 1914. During an ill-fated offensive in 1918 Jünger was badly wounded and was awarded the '' Pour le Mérite'', a rare decoration for one of his rank. Since new awards of the military class ceased with the end of the Prussian monarchy in November 1918, Jünger, who died in 1998, was the last living recipient of the military class award. He wrote against liberal values, democracy, and the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
, but rejected the advances of the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
who were rising to power. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Jünger served as an army captain in occupied Paris, but by 1943, he had turned decisively against Nazi totalitarianism, a change manifested in his work "'' Der Friede''" (''The Peace''). Jünger was dismissed from the army in 1944 after he was indirectly implicated with fellow officers who had plotted to assassinate Hitler. A few months later, his son died in combat in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
after having been sentenced to a penal battalion for political reasons. After the war, Jünger was treated with some suspicion as a possible fellow traveller of the Nazis. By the later stages of the Cold War, his unorthodox writings about the impact of
materialism Materialism is a form of monism, philosophical monism according to which matter is the fundamental Substance theory, substance in nature, and all things, including mind, mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. Acco ...
in modern society were widely seen as conservative rather than radical nationalist, and his philosophical works came to be highly regarded in mainstream German circles. Jünger ended life as an honoured literary figure, although critics continued to charge him with the glorification of war as a transcendental experience in some of his early works. He was an ardent militarist and one of the most complex and contradictory figures in 20th-century
German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
.


Biography


Early life

Ernst Jünger was born in
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
as the eldest of six children of the chemical engineer and of Karoline Lampl (1873–1950). Two of his siblings died as infants. His father acquired some wealth in
potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.
mining. He went to school in
Hannover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
from 1901 to 1905, and during 1905 to 1907 to boarding schools in Hanover and Brunswick. He rejoined his family in 1907, in Rehburg, and went to school in Wunstorf with his siblings from 1907 to 1912. During this time, he developed his passion for adventure novels and for
entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
. He spent some time as an exchange student in Buironfosse, Saint-Quentin, France, in September 1909. With his younger brother Friedrich Georg Jünger (1898–1977) he joined the '' Wandervogel'' movement in 1911. His first poem was published with the ''Gaublatt für Hannoverland'' in November 1911. By this time, Jünger had a reputation as a budding bohemian poet. In 1913, Jünger was a student at the Hamelin gymnasium. In November, he travelled to
Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...
and enlisted in the French Foreign Legion for a five-year term, but with the intention of getting to North Africa. Stationed in a training camp at Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria, he deserted and travelled to Morocco, but was captured and returned to camp. Six weeks later, he was dismissed from the Legion due to the intervention of the German
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
, and escaped prosecution. On the return journey he was told by his father that the cost of representations to the authorities had amounted to a vast sum. Jünger was sent to a boarding school in Hanover, where fellow pupils included future communist leader Werner Scholem (1895–1940).


World War I

On 1 August 1914, shortly after the start of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Jünger enlisted as a ''one year volunteer'' and joined the 73rd Hannoverian Fusilier Regiment of the 19th Division, and, after training, was transported to the Champagne front in December. He was wounded for the first time in April 1915. While on convalescent leave he took up a position his father arranged for him to become an officer aspirant ('' Fahnenjunker''). Jünger was commissioned a Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) on 27 November 1915. As platoon leader, he gained a reputation for his combat exploits and initiative in offensive patrolling and reconnaissance. During the Battle of the Somme near the obliterated remains of the village of Guillemont his platoon took up a front line position in a defile that had been shelled until it consisted of little more than a dip strewn with the rotting corpses of predecessors. He wrote: The platoon was relieved but Jünger was wounded by shrapnel in the rest area of Combles and hospitalized; his platoon reoccupied the position on the eve of the Battle of Guillemont and was obliterated in a British offensive. He was wounded for the third time in November 1916, and awarded the Iron Cross First Class in January 1917. Throughout the rest of the war, Jünger was frequently assigned as a company commander, most often with the 7th Company. Transferred to Langemarck in July 1917, Jünger's actions against the advancing British included forcing retreating soldiers to join his resistance line at gunpoint. He arranged the evacuation of his brother Friedrich Georg, who had been wounded. In the Battle of Cambrai (1917) Jünger sustained two wounds, by a bullet passing through his helmet at the back of the head, and another by a shell fragment on the forehead. He was awarded the House Order of Hohenzollern. While advancing to take up positions just before Ludendorff's Operation Michael on 19 March 1918, Jünger was forced to call a halt after the guides lost their way, and while bunched together half of his company were lost to a direct hit from artillery. Jünger himself survived, and led the survivors as part of a successful advance but was wounded twice towards the end of the action, being shot in the chest and less seriously across the head. After convalescing, he returned to his regiment in June, sharing a widespread feeling that the tide had now turned against Germany and victory was impossible. On 25 August, he was wounded for the seventh and final time near Favreuil, being shot through the lung while leading his company in an advance that was quickly overwhelmed by a British counter-attack. Becoming aware the position where he was lying wounded was about to fall to advancing British forces, Jünger rose and as he did his lung drained of fluids through the wound in his chest, allowing him to recover enough to escape. He made his way to a machine-gun post that was holding out, where a doctor told him to lie down immediately. Carried to the rear in a tarpaulin, he and the bearers came under fire and the doctor was killed. A soldier who tried to carry Jünger on his shoulders was killed after only making it a few yards, but another soldier was able to do so. Jünger received the Wound Badge 1st Class. While he was treated in a Hannover hospital, on 22 September he received notice of being awarded the '' Pour le Mérite'' on the recommendation of division commander Johannes von Busse. ''Pour le Mérite'', the highest military decoration of the German Empire, was awarded some 700 times during the war, but almost exclusively to high-ranking officers (and seventy times to combat pilots). Jünger was one of only eleven infantry company leaders who received the order. Helmuth Kiesel, ''Ernst Jünger: Die Biographie'', Siedler Verlag, 2009. Throughout the war, Jünger kept a diary, which became the basis of his 1920 '' Storm of Steel''. He spent his free time reading the works of Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Ariosto and Kubin, besides entomological journals he was sent from home. During 1917, he was collecting beetles in the trenches and while on patrol, 149 specimens between 2 January and 27 July, which he listed under the title of ''Fauna coleopterologica douchyensis'' (" Coleopterological fauna of the Douchy region").


Interwar period

Jünger served as a lieutenant in the
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
until his demobilisation in 1923. He studied
marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and ...
,
zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
,
botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
, and
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, and became a well-known
entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
. In Germany, an important entomological prize is named after him: the ''Ernst-Jünger-Preis für Entomologie''. His war experiences described in ''Storm of Steel'' (German title: ''In Stahlgewittern''), which Jünger self-published in 1920, gradually made him famous. He married in 1925. They had two children, Ernst Jr. (1926–44) and Alexander (1934–93). He criticized the fragile and unstable democracy of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
, stating that he "hated democracy like the plague." More explicitly than in ''Storm of Steel'', he portrayed war as a mystical experience that revealed the nature of existence. According to Jünger, the essence of the modern was found in total mobilisation for military effectiveness, which tested the capacity of the human senses. In 1932, he published '' The Worker'' (German title: ''Der Arbeiter''), which called for the creation of an activist society run by warrior-worker-scholars. In the essay ''On Pain'', written and published in 1934, Jünger rejects the liberal values of liberty, security, ease, and comfort, and seeks instead the measure of man in the capacity to withstand pain and sacrifice. Around this time his writing included the aphorism "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger; and what kills me makes me incredibly strong."


Third Reich

As a famous war hero and prominent nationalist critic of the Weimar Republic, the ascendant
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
(NSDAP) courted Jünger as a natural ally, but Jünger rejected such advances. When Jünger moved to Berlin in 1927, he rejected an offer of a seat in the Reichstag for the NSDAP. In 1930, he openly denounced Hitler's suppression of the Rural People's Movement. In the 22 October 1932 edition of '' Völkischer Beobachter'' (the official Nazi newspaper), the article "''Das endlose dialektische Gespräch''" ("the never-ending dialectical debate") attacked Jünger for his rejection of the " blood and soil" doctrine, accusing him of being an "intellectualist" and a liberal. Jünger again refused a seat offered to him in the Reichstag following the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
's ascension to power in January 1933, and he refused the invitation to head the German Academy of Literature (''Deutsche Akademie der Dichtung''). On 14 June 1934, Jünger wrote a "letter of rejection" to the ''Völkischer Beobachter'', in which he requested that none of his writings be published in it. Jünger also refused to speak on Joseph Goebbels's radio. He was one of the few "nationalist" authors whose names were never found on the frequent declarations of loyalty to Hitler. He and his brother Friedrich Georg quit the "''Traditionsverein der 73er''" (veteran's organization of the Hanoverian regiment they had served during World War I) when its Jewish members were expelled. When Jünger left
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1933, his house was searched several times by the
Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
. '' On the Marble Cliffs'' (1939, German title: ''Auf den Marmorklippen''), a short novel in the form of a parable, uses
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
to describe Jünger's negative perceptions of the situation in Hitler's Germany. He served in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as an
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
captain. On the Western Front in 1939, he rescued a wounded soldier and was again awarded the
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
Second Class. Assigned to an administrative position as intelligence officer and mail censor in Paris, he socialized (often at the Georges V hotel or at Maxim's) with prominent artists of the day such as Picasso and
Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...
. He also went to the salons of Marie-Louise Bousquet and Florence Gould. There he met Jean Paulhan, Henry de Montherlant, Marcel Jouhandeau and Louis-Ferdinand Céline. Jünger also met the latter at the German Institute on 7 December 1941. He noted in his Parisian diary (') that Céline on that occasion "spoke of his consternation, his astonishment, at the fact that we soldiers were not shooting, hanging, and exterminating the Jews".Chapter I, First Parisian Journal
He passed on information about upcoming transports "at an acceptable level of risk" which saved Jewish lives. His office was in the Hotel Majestic and he was billeted at the Hotel Raphael. Jünger found his countrymen's discriminatory treatment of French Jews unacceptable. In his Parisian diaries, the writer wrote on 7 June 1942 that he had encountered for the first time the yellow star carried by three little girls who were passing by in the Rue Royale, and that he considered that day as fundamental in his personal history, because he said he was ashamed at that moment of wearing a German officer's uniform. His early time in France is described in his aforementioned diary ''Strahlungen'' (Radiations), which includes (Gardens and Streets) and "Das erste Pariser Tagebuch" (The First Parisian Diary). He was also given the task of executing a German deserter who had beaten the women sheltering him and been turned in. Jünger considered avoiding the assignment but eventually attended to oversee the execution in, as he claimed in his journal, "the spirit of higher curiosity". Jünger appears on the fringes of the Stauffenberg bomb plot. He was clearly an inspiration to anti-Nazi conservatives in the German Army, and while in Paris he was close to the old, mostly Prussian, officers who carried out the assassination attempt against Hitler. On 6 June 1944 Jünger went to Rommel's headquarters at La Roche-Guyon, arriving late at about 9 PM as the bridge at Mantes was down. Present were Rommel's chief-of-staff Hans Speidel, General Wagener, Colonel Linstow, Embassy Counsellor , reporter Major and Speidel's brother-in-law Max Horst (Rommel was in Germany). At 9.30 PM they went to Speidel's quarters to discuss ''" Der Friede"'' (The Peace), Jünger's 30-page peace proposal (written in 1943), to be given to the Allies after Hitler's demise or removal from power; also proposed is a united Europe. He returned about midnight. The next day at the Paris HQ Jünger was stunned by the news of the
Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
. Jünger was only peripherally involved in the events, however, and in the aftermath suffered only dismissal from the army in August 1944 rather than execution. He was saved by the chaos of the last months of the war, and by always being "inordinately careful", burning writings on sensitive matters from 1933. One source ( Friedrich Hielscher) claimed that Hitler said "Nothing happens to Jünger". His elder son Ernst Jr., then an eighteen-year-old naval (
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
) cadet, was imprisoned that year for engaging in "subversive discussions" in his
Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...
Naval Academy (a capital offence). Transferred to Penal Unit 999 as ''Frontbewährung'', i.e. probation through frontline service, after his parents had spoken to the presiding judge Admiral Ernst Scheurlen, he was killed near Carrara in occupied Italy on 29 November 1944 (though Jünger was never sure whether he had been shot by the enemy or by the SS).


Post-war period

After the war, Jünger was initially under some suspicion for his nationalist past, and he was banned from publishing in Germany for four years by the British occupying forces because he refused to submit to the denazification procedures. His work ''The Peace'' (German title: ''Der Friede''), written in 1943 and published abroad in 1948, marked the end of his involvement in politics. When
German Communists German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
threatened his safety in 1945,
Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...
instructed them to "Leave Jünger alone." His public image rehabilitated by the 1950s, he went on to be regarded as a towering figure of West German literature. West German publisher Klett put out a ten-volume collected works (''Werke'') in 1965, extended to 18 volumes 1978–1983. This made Jünger one of just four German authors to see two subsequent editions of their collected works published during their lifetime, alongside
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
, Klopstock and Wieland. His diaries from 1939 to 1949 were published under the title '' Strahlungen'' (1948, ''Reflections''). In the 1950s and 1960s, Jünger travelled extensively. His first wife, Gretha, died in 1960, and in 1962 he married . He continued writing prodigiously for his entire life, publishing more than 50 books.
Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; 26 September 1889 – 26 May 1976) was a German philosopher known for contributions to Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. His work covers a range of topics including metaphysics, art ...
was heavily influenced by Jünger's ''The Worker'' although he did not regard Jünger as a philosopher. Heidegger's interpretation of Jünger's work is compiled in volume 90 of his complete edition, titled "Zu Ernst Jünger". Jünger was among the forerunners of magical realism. His vision in '' The Glass Bees'' (1957, German title: ''Gläserne Bienen''), of a future in which an automated machine-driven world threatens
individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote realizing one's goals and desires, valuing independence and self-reliance, and a ...
, could be seen as a story within the science fiction genre. A sensitive poet with training in
botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
and
zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
, as well as a soldier, his works in general are infused with tremendous details of the natural world. Throughout his life he had experimented with
drugs A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestio ...
such as ether,
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
, and hashish; and later in life he used
mescaline Mescaline, also known as mescalin or mezcalin, and in chemical terms 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine, is a natural product, naturally occurring psychedelic drug, psychedelic alkaloid, protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, found ...
and LSD. These experiments were recorded comprehensively in '' Annäherungen'' (1970, ''Approaches''). The novel '' Besuch auf Godenholm'' (1952, ''Visit to Godenholm'') is clearly influenced by his early experiments with mescaline and LSD. He met with LSD discoverer Albert Hofmann and they took LSD together several times. Hofmann's memoir ''LSD, My Problem Child'' describes some of these meetings.


Later life

One of the most important contributions of Jünger's later literary production is the metahistoric figure of the '' Anarch'', an ideal figure of a sovereign individual, conceived in his novel ''
Eumeswil ''Eumeswil'' is a 1977 novel by the German author Ernst Jünger. The narrative is set in an undatable post-apocalyptic world, somewhere in present-day Morocco. It follows the inner and outer life of Manuel Venator, a historian in the city-state of ...
'' (1977), which evolved from his earlier conception of the ''Waldgänger'', or "Forest Fleer" by influence of Max Stirner's conception of the Unique (''der Einzige''). In 1981, Jünger was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca. Jünger was immensely popular in France, where at one time 48 of his translated books were in print. In 1984, he spoke at the Verdun memorial, alongside his admirers, French president François Mitterrand and the German chancellor, where he called the "ideology of war" in Germany before and after World War I "a calamitous mistake". In France he remains a near idol of the identitarian and Europeanist far-right (in the works of philosopher Alain de Benoist). Although he had been cleared of the accusation of Nazi collaboration since the 1950s, Jünger's
national conservatism National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conserv ...
and his ongoing role as conservative philosopher and icon made him a controversial figure, and Huyssen (1993) argued that nevertheless "his conservative literature made Nazism highly attractive", and that "the ontology of war depicted in '' Storm of Steel'' could be interpreted as a model for a new, hierarchically ordered society beyond democracy, beyond the security of bourgeois society and ennui".
Walter Benjamin Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin ( ; ; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German-Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, media theorist, and essayist. An eclectic thinker who combined elements of German idealism, Jewish mysticism, Western M ...
wrote "Theories of German Fascism" (1930) as a review of ''War and Warrior'', a collection of essays edited by Jünger. Despite the ongoing political criticism of his work, Jünger said he never regretted anything he wrote, nor would he ever take it back. His younger son Alexander, a physician, committed suicide in 1993. Jünger's 100th birthday on 29 March 1995 was met with praise from many quarters, including the socialist French president François Mitterrand.


Death

Jünger came from a mixed Christian Protestant, agnostic family and did not profess any particular denominational belief, but shortly before he died he converted to Roman Catholicism. A year before his death, Jünger was received into the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and began to receive the
Sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol ...
s. Jünger died on 17 February 1998 in Riedlingen, Upper Swabia, aged 102. He was the last living bearer of the military version of the order Pour le Mérite. Jünger's last home in Wilflingen, Jünger-Haus Wilflingen, is now a museum.


Photography

Ernst Jünger's photobooks are visual accompaniments to his writings on technology and
modernity Modernity, a topic in the humanities and social sciences, is both a historical period (the modern era) and the ensemble of particular Society, socio-Culture, cultural Norm (social), norms, attitudes and practices that arose in the wake of the ...
. The seven books of photography Jünger published between 1928 and 1934 are representative of the most militaristic and radically right wing period in his writing. Jünger's first photobooks, ''Die Unvergessenen'' (The Unforgotten, 1929) and ''Der Kampf um das Reich'' (The Battle for the Reich, 1929) are collections of photographs of fallen
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
soldiers and the World War front, many that he took himself. He also contributed six essays on the relationship between war and photography in a photobook of war images called ''Das Antlitz des Weltkrieges: Fronterlebnisse deutscher Soldaten'' (The Face of the World War: Front Experiences of German Soldiers, 1930) and edited a volume of photographs dealing with the first world war, ''Hier spricht der Feind: Kriegserlebnisse unserer Gegner'' (The Voice of the Enemy: War Experiences of our Adversaries, 1931). Jünger also edited a collection of essays, ''Krieg und Krieger'' (War and Warriors, 1930, 1933) and wrote the foreword for a photo anthology of airplanes and flying called ''Luftfahrt ist Not!'' (Flying is imperative! .e., a necessity 1928).


Decorations and awards

*1916
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(1914) II. and I. Class *1917 Prussian House Order of Hohenzollern Knight's Cross with Swords *1918 Wound Badge (1918) in Gold *1918 Pour le Mérite (military class) *1934 The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 *1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class *1956 Bremen Literature Prize (for ''Am Sarazenentum''); Culture Prize of the city of Goslar *1959 Grand Merit Cross *1960 Honorary Citizen of the Municipality Wilflingen; honorary gift of the Cultural Committee of the Federation of German Industry *1965 Honorary Citizen of Rehburg; Immermann Prize of the city of Düsseldorf *1970 Freiherr- vom-Stein- Gold Medal of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation *1973 Literature Prize of the Academy Amriswil (Organizer: Dino Larese; Laudations: Alfred Andersch, François Bondy, Friedrich Georg Jünger) *1974 Schiller Memorial Prize of Baden-Württemberg 1977 Aigle d'Or the city of Nice, Great Federal Cross of Merit with Star *1979 Médaille de la Paix (Peace Medal) of the city of Verdun *1980 Medal of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg *1981 Prix Europa Littérature the Fondation Internationale pour le Rayonnement des Arts et des Lettres; Prix Mondial Cino the Fondation Simone et del Duca (Paris), Gold Medal of the Humboldt Society *1982 Goethe Prize of Frankfurt *1983 Honorary Citizen of the city of Montpellier; Premio Circeo the Associazione Italo – Germanica Amicizia (Association of Italian–German friendship) *1985 Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
*1986 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art *1987 Premio di Tevere (awarded by Francesco Cossiga in Rome) *1989 honorary doctorate from the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao *1990 Oberschwäbischer Art Prize *1993 Grand Prize of the Jury of the Venice Biennale *1993 Robert Schuman Prize, Alfred Toepfer Foundation *1995 honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Arts of the Complutense University of Madrid In 1985, to mark Jünger's 90th birthday, the German state of Baden-Württemberg established Ernst Jünger Prize in Entomology. It is given every three years for outstanding work in the field of entomology. Ernst Jünger was the last living recipient of the military class of the ' Pour le Mérite'.


Bibliography


Collected works

Jünger's works were edited in ten volumes in 1960–1965 by Ernst Klett Verlag, Stuttgart, and again in 18 volumes by Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart in 1978–1983, with four supplement volumes added posthumously, 1999–2003. The ''Sämtliche Werke'' edition is now partially out of print (out of print : vols. 6, 7, 10, 15–18), and was re-issued in 2015 in paperback () and
epub EPUB is an e-book file format that uses the ".epub" file extension. The term is short for ''electronic publication'' and is sometimes stylized as ''ePUB''. EPUB is supported by many e-readers, and compatible software is available for most smart ...
(ISBN epub: 978-3-608-10923-8) formats. A selection from the full collected works in five volumes was published in 1995 (4th ed. 2012, ). The following is a list of Jünger's original publications in book form (not including journal articles or correspondence).


Non-fiction

*1920, In Stahlgewittern ('' Storm of Steel'') *1922, (''War as an Inner Experience'') *1924, ''Das Wäldchen 125'' ('' Copse 125'') *1925, ' (''Fire and Blood'') *1929, Das abenteuerliche Herz. Aufzeichnungen bei Tag und Nacht ('' The Adventurous Heart: Recordings by Day and Night'') *1932, Der Arbeiter. Herrschaft und Gestalt ('' The Worker: Dominion and Form'') *1934, Blätter und Steine ('' Leaves and Stones'') *1938, Das abenteuerliche Herz. Figuren und Capricios ('' The Adventurous Heart: Figures and Capriccios'') *1942, (''Gardens and Roads'') *1943, Myrdun. Briefe aus Norwegen *1943, Der Friede. Ein Wort an die Jugend Europas und an die Jugend der Welt ('' The Peace'') *1947, Atlantische Fahrt *1947, Sprache und Körperbau *1948, Ein Inselfrühling *1949, *1951, Am Kieselstrand *1951, Über die Linie *1951, Der Waldgang (''The Forest Passage'') *1953, Der gordische Knoten *1954, Das Sanduhrbuch *1955, Am Sarazenturm *1956, Rivarol *1958, Jahre der Okkupation *1959, An der Zeitmauer *1960, *1960, Sgraffiti *1963, Typus, Name, Gestalt *1966, Grenzgänge. Essays. Reden. Träume *1967, Subtile Jagden *1970, Ad hoc *1970, *1974, Zahlen und Götter. Philemon und Baucis. Zwei Essays *1980, Siebzig verweht I *1981, Siebzig verweht II *1983, Maxima – Minima, Adnoten zum 'Arbeiter' *1984, *1987, Zwei Mal Halley *1990, Die Schere *1993, Prognosen *1993, Siebzig verweht III *1995, Siebzig verweht IV *1997, Siebzig verweht V


Novels

*1939, ''Auf den Marmorklippen'' ('' On the Marble Cliffs'') *1949, ''Heliopolis. Rückblick auf eine Stadt'' ('' Heliopolis'') *1957, ''Gläserne Bienen'' ('' The Glass Bees'') *1973, ' *1977, ''
Eumeswil ''Eumeswil'' is a 1977 novel by the German author Ernst Jünger. The narrative is set in an undatable post-apocalyptic world, somewhere in present-day Morocco. It follows the inner and outer life of Manuel Venator, a historian in the city-state of ...
'' *1985, ''Eine gefährliche Begegnung'' ('' A Dangerous Encounter'')


Short stories

*1923, '' Sturm'' *1936, ' (''African Diversions'') *1952, ' *1952, Besuch auf Godenholm ('' Visit to Godenholm'') *1983, Aladins Problem ('' Aladdin's Problem'')


Correspondence

Klett-Cotta edited Jünger's correspondence with Rudolf Schlichter,
Carl Schmitt Carl Schmitt (11 July 1888 – 7 April 1985) was a German jurist, author, and political theorist. Schmitt wrote extensively about the effective wielding of political power. An authoritarian conservative theorist, he was noted as a critic of ...
, Gerhard Nebel, Friedrich Hielscher, Gottfried Benn, Stefan Andres and
Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; 26 September 1889 – 26 May 1976) was a German philosopher known for contributions to Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. His work covers a range of topics including metaphysics, art ...
in seven separate volumes during 1997–2008. * Ernst Jünger, Rudolf Schlichter: ''Briefe 1935–1955'', ed. Dirk Heißerer. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1997, . * Ernst Jünger, Carl Schmitt: ''Briefe 1930–1983'', ed. Helmuth Kiesel. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1999, . * Ernst Jünger, Gerhard Nebel: ''Briefe 1938–1974'', eds. Ulrich Fröschle and Michael Neumann. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2003, . * Ernst Jünger, Friedrich Hielscher: ''Briefe 1927–1985'', eds. Ina Schmidt and Stefan Breuer. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2005, . * Gottfried Benn, Ernst Jünger: ''Briefwechsel 1949–1956'', ed. Holger Hof. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2006, . * Ernst Jünger, Stefan Andres: ''Briefe 1937–1970'', ed. Günther Nicolin. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart, 2007, . * Ernst Jünger, Martin Heidegger: ''Briefwechsel 1949–1975.'' eds. Simone Maier, Günter Figal. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart, 2008, . * ''Alfred Baeumler und Ernst Jünger: Mit einem Anhang der überlieferten Korrespondenz und weiterem Material.'' eds. Ulrich Fröschle und Thomas Kuzias. Thelem Universitätsverlag, Dresden 2008, . * Ernst Jünger – Albert Renger-Patzsch. ''Briefwechsel 1943–1966 und weitere Dokumente.'' eds. Matthias Schöning, Bernd Stiegler, Ann and Jürgen Wilde. Wilhelm Fink, Paderborn/München 2010, . * Ernst Jünger, Dolf Sternberger: ''Briefwechsel 1941–1942 und 1973–1980.'' eds. Detlev Schöttker and Anja S. Hübner. In: ''Sinn und Form'', 4/2011, S. 448–473 * Luise Rinser und Ernst Jünger Briefwechsel 1939 – 1944, mit einem einleitenden Essay von Benedikt Maria Trappen Aufgang Verlag, Augsburg 2016,


English translations

Four of his World War II diaries have been translated and published in English as: *''A German Officer in Occupied Paris: The War Journals 1941–1945: First Paris Journal, Notes from the Caucasus, Second Paris Journal, Kirchhorst Diaries.'' ** The bulk of Jünger's publications remains untranslated, but some of his major novels have appeared in English translation. *In Stahlgewittern: Basil Creighton, '' The Storm of Steel. From the Diary of a German Storm-Troop Officer on the Western Front.'' London: Chatto & Windus (1929). *Das Wäldchen 125: Basil Creighton, '' Copse 125: A Chronicle from the Trench Warfare of 1918''. London: Chatto & Windus (1930). *Auf den Marmorklippen: Stuart Hood, '' On the Marble Cliffs''. London: John Lehmann (1947). *Der Friede: Stuart Hood, ''The Peace''. Hinsdale, IL: Henry Regnery Company (1948). *Afrikanische Spiele, Stuart Hood, '' African Diversions''. London: John Lehmann (1954). *Gläserne Bienen: Louise Bogan and Elizabeth Mayer, '' The Glass Bees''. New York: Noonday Press (1960). *Annäherungen. Drogen Und Rausch: 'Drugs and Ecstasy' in: ''Myths and Symbols. Studies in Honor of Mircea Eliade'', eds. Joseph M. Kitagawa and Charles H. Long. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press (1969), pp. 327–42. *Aladdins Problem: Joachim Neugroschel, '' Aladdin's Problem''. New York: Marsilio (1992). *Eumeswil: Joachim Neugroschel, ''
Eumeswil ''Eumeswil'' is a 1977 novel by the German author Ernst Jünger. The narrative is set in an undatable post-apocalyptic world, somewhere in present-day Morocco. It follows the inner and outer life of Manuel Venator, a historian in the city-state of ...
''. New York: Marsilio (1993). *Eine gefährliche Begegnung: Hilary Barr, '' A Dangerous Encounter''. New York: Marsilio (1993). *Über den Schmerz: David C. Durst, ''On Pain''. New York: Telos Press Publishing (2008). *Das abenteuerliche Herz. Figuren und Capricios: Thomas Friese, '' The Adventurous Heart: Figures and Capriccios''. Candor, NY: Telos Press Publishing (2012). *Der Waldgang: Thomas Friese, '' The Forest Passage''. Candor, NY: Telos Press Publishing (2013). *Besuch auf Godenholm: Annabel Moynihan, '' Visit to Godenholm''. Stockholm: Edda Publishing (2015). *Sturm: Alexis P. Walker, '' Sturm''. Candor, NY: Telos Press Publishing (2015). *Der Arbeiter. Herrschaft und Gestalt; Bogdan Costea and Laurence Paul Hemming, ''The Worker. Dominion and Form.'' Northwestern University Press (2017) *In Stahlgewittern: K.J. Elliott, '' In Storms of Steel.'' (2022). *Der Kampf als inneres Erlebnis: K.J. Elliott, '' War as an Inner Experience.'' (2022). *Das Wäldchen 125: K.J. Elliott, '' Copse 125.'' (2022). *Feuer und Blut: K.J. Elliott, '. (2022).


Filmography

* ''La Guerre d'un seul homme'' (''One Man's War'') (1981). Film directed by Edgardo Cozarinsky juxtaposing excerpts from Jünger's World War II diaries during his years in Paris with French propaganda films of the same period. * '' 102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger'' (''102 år i hjärtat av Europa'') (1998), Swedish documentary film by Jesper Wachtmeister and Björn Cederberg


References

* . * . * . * . * . * . * . * in * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * Hervier, Julien, ''Ernst Jünger: dans les tempêtes du siècle'', Fayard, Paris, 2014


External links


Ernst und Friedrich Jünger Gesellschaft

Jünger-Haus Wilflingen
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jünger, Ernst 1895 births 1998 deaths German men centenarians Military personnel from Heidelberg People from the Grand Duchy of Baden German Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism German entomologists Conservative Revolutionary movement Anti-American sentiment in Germany Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 2nd class Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion Magic realism writers Leipzig University alumni Philosophers of war Schiller Memorial Prize winners German nationalists German male poets 20th-century German philosophers 20th-century German poets 20th-century German zoologists German Army personnel of World War I German Army officers of World War II German revolutionaries Writers from Heidelberg