Nelly Sachs was a German–Swedish poet and playwright. Her experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokesperson for the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews. Her best-known play is Eli: Ein Mysterienspiel vom Leiden Israels (1950); other works include the poems "Zeichen im Sand" (1962), "Verzauberung" (1970), and the collections of poetry In den Wohnungen des Todes (1947), Flucht und Verwandlung (1959), Fahrt ins Staublose (1961), and Suche nach Lebenden (1971). She was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Nelly Sachs, 1966
Nelly Sachs, 1910
A Berlin memorial plaque at the site of Sachs' former house in Lessingstraße, Hansaviertel, Berlin.
1966 Nobel Prize in Literature
The 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature was divided equally between Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888–1970) "for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people" and Nelly Sachs (1891–1970) "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength."
Agnon "for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people," and Sachs "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength."
Image: פורטרט ש"י עגנון (cropped 2)
Nobel laureates Nelly Sachs and Samuel Agnon preparing for the festivities in Stockholm on 10 December 1966.
