Lerne lachen ohne zu weinen

This book is a collection of various essays and poems written between 1925 and 1931. It was first published in 1931 in Berlin. Kurt Tucholsky is considered to be one of the most important journalists of the Weimar Republic. He called himself an "injured clown" and was well known for his satirical essays and cabaret songs. He was a pacifist with a deep concern about human values. He sharply criticized National Socialism and pointed out the decline of German democracy. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 his books were among those listed on the Nazi's censorship as "Entartete Kunst" ("degenerate art") and they were mercilessly burned. Subsequently Tucholsky lost his German citizenship and was forced to return to his exile in Sweden. "Lerne lachen ohne zu weinen" ("Learn to laugh without crying") is one of Tucholsky's most profound and bitterest book.