The publication of Der Panamakanal in 1913 marked the emergence of Yvan Goll, a writer whose career bridged the aesthetic shifts between German Expressionism and French Surrealism. Born Isaac Lang in 1891, he spent his life navigating multiple linguistic and national boundaries, ultimately producing a body of work that reflected the turbulence of early twentieth-century Europe.
Early Education and Movement
Born in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Goll lost his father at age six and subsequently moved to Metz. His academic path led him through universities in Strasbourg, Freiburg, and Munich, where he completed a Doctorate of Laws in 1912. During the First World War, he relocated to Switzerland to avoid conscription. There, he engaged with the Dadaist circle at Cabaret Voltaire, associating with artists including Hans Arp, Tristan Tzara, and Francis Picabia.
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Goll settled in Paris in 1919 and married Claire Aischmann in 1921. His literary output expanded into drama and film scenarios, notably Die Chapliniade and Mathusalem, which utilized shock effects characteristic of his transition from Expressionist styles toward Surrealism. In 1924, he launched the magazine Surréalisme. He collaborated extensively with visual artists, securing illustrations from figures such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Fernand Léger for his various collections and librettos, including the opera Royal Palace composed by Kurt Weill.
Exile and Final Works
During the 1930s, the rise of Nazi persecution moved the figure of the wandering Jew to the center of his poetry, notably in the 1936 epic La chanson de Jean Sans Terre. From 1939 to 1947, he lived in exile in New York City, where he edited the magazine Hémispheres. Following a 1945 leukemia diagnosis, his later poetry in volumes like Fruit From Saturn incorporated themes of alchemy and the Kabbalah. His final works, written in German and gathered under the title Traumkraut, synthesized his lifelong aesthetic experiments before his death in 1950 at Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Fast facts
- Born: 1891, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges
- Died: 1950, Neuilly-sur-Seine
- Academic Degree: Doctor of Laws
- Citizenship: Switzerland, France, Germany
- Primary Languages: French, German
- Burial Site: Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Work Locations: New York City, Lausanne, Strasbourg, Metz
Questions readers ask
What were the primary artistic movements in Yvan Goll's career?
Goll was significantly influenced by German Expressionism and French Surrealism, often attempting to bridge the two traditions.
Where is Yvan Goll buried?
He is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, situated opposite the grave of Frédéric Chopin.
