Georg Trakl

Georg Trakl was born in Salzburg, Feb. 3, 1887. The Poet grew up in Salzburg, where he attended grammar school between 1897-1905, then studied pharmacology in Vienna from 1908, connections to the "Akademischer Verband für Literatur und Musik", first poetry published in expressionist magazines. 1910 master of pharmacology, from 1912 in Innsbruck, publications in the fortnightly magazine published by L. von Ficker "Der Brenner".

At the beginning of World War I Georg Trakl was drafted as reservist, after the bloody battle at Gródek (Galicia) he tried to commit suicide and died shortly afterwards at the garrison hospital. 1925 L. von Ficker had the body transferred to the Neuer Mühlauer cemetery at Innsbruck.

Georg Trakl´s poetic works (during his life only the volume "Gedichte" (1913) appeared as a separate publication) is akin to Expressionism in the sensual force of his images and is characterized by a very melancholic disposition ("Alle Straßen münden in schwarze Verwesung" - "all streets lead to black putridity"). It is marked by visions of gloomy colour and a melodiously rhythmical language; the motifs are taken from classical antiquity (Orpheus) and the imagery of Christianity, with the influence of Hölderlin, Novalis, Nietzsche, Baudelaire and Rimbaud clearly detectable.