Diary and Letters of Kaethe Kollwitz

by Käthe Kollwitz

One of the great German Expressionist artists, Kaethe Kollwitz wrote little of herself. But her diary, kept from 1900 to her death in 1945, and her brief essays and letters express, as well as explain, much of the spirit, wisdom, and internal struggle which was eventually transmuted into her art.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, History, German Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1988

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a selection from Kollwitz's diary and letters, and I kept wishing I could read German so I could have access to the complete unabridged versions. I wanted to know what she wrote the next day, and the next and the next. But it is great to have even this much of the thoughts of one of the greatest, most compassionate artists of her era. You get a sense of her struggles as well as her triumphs. On one page is a long description of her depressive state; I read it to my husband, who is a psychiatrist, and he said, yes, that's exactly what depression is like. In the 20s, she wrote that her poster designs like "Never Again War!" were criticized as not pure art, but she didn't care. She wanted her art to be "effective." It still is, Kathe. It still is.

[Trinster00gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for anyone who likes Kathe Kollwitz’s work and it takes a personal look at her life and prints. This is a deeply rewarding book but also sweetly sad because Kollwitz certainly had a difficult life. I’m glad I read and own this book.

[Loree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enchanted by Kaethe's work.

[Vítor Marques · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Profound Testament of Conscience and Humanity

Diary and Letters of Käthe Kollwitz is an extraordinary and deeply moving document that offers rare access to the inner life of one of the most morally serious and artistically powerful figures of the twentieth century. Far more than a collection of personal writings, this book stands as a testament to the ethical responsibility of the artist and to the enduring strength of human empathy in times of profound suffering.

Kollwitz’s diary entries and correspondence reveal a voice of remarkable clarity, humility, and emotional honesty. Her reflections on art, motherhood, grief, social injustice, and war are written with an intensity that never becomes self-indulgent. Instead, they are marked by a disciplined introspection and a fierce commitment to truth. Through her words, we witness the evolution of an artist who refuses aesthetic detachment and insists that art must bear witness to human pain.

One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its intimate portrayal of Kollwitz’s response to historical catastrophe, particularly the loss of her son in the First World War and her growing pacifism. These passages are devastating in their restraint. Kollwitz does not dramatize suffering; she allows it to speak for itself. The result is a prose that is quietly powerful, imbued with moral gravity and emotional resonance.

Equally compelling are her reflections on the creative process. Kollwitz writes candidly about doubt, artistic struggle, and responsibility, offering invaluable insight into how her social convictions shaped her visual language. Readers come to understand that her famous images of mourning mothers, workers, and the oppressed are not ideological abstractions but the outcome of lived experience and ethical reflection.

The letters, in particular, add warmth and immediacy to the volume. They reveal Kollwitz as generous, intellectually engaged, and deeply connected to her contemporaries, while never losing sight of the suffering of those without a voice. Her compassion is not sentimental but grounded in solidarity, making her perspective strikingly relevant today.

Ultimately, Diary and Letters of Käthe Kollwitz is a work of exceptional historical, artistic, and moral value. It enriches our understanding not only of Kollwitz herself but of the role of art in confronting injustice and affirming human dignity. This book is indispensable for readers interested in art history, feminist thought, social ethics, and the power of personal testimony. It leaves a lasting impression, reminding us that honesty, compassion, and courage can themselves be acts of resistance.

[tomahawk28 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When people used to say that a great deal of distress is the ingredient of an artist’s cultural masterpiece in their later life, the story of Kaethe Kollwitz is usually one of their best examples. she lost her second son, Peter, in World war one and she suffers from her loss for the rest of her life. To overcome the grief and comfort that other fallen soldiers’ families, she made two famous sculptures in the German soldiers’ cemetery in Belgium where Peter had been buried.

Even though the famous achievement she made, I was wondering how she had been enduring this wartime and what she was thinking about Germany; Could she possibly forgive her own mother country where she sacrifices both her son and her grandson - the same name, Peter - in the name of nationalism?

The book “The Diary and Letters from Kaethe Kollwitz” could be a good source for those wondering about her life. While her sculptures, etchings are her ultimate masterpiece, this book presents how her art is created by showing her diary and letters, where you would expect a somewhat lightly-touched or sometimes much heavy-hearted tone by her accounts.

To stop encouraging young men to join the war, she wrote the column that famously ends with “The seeds to be planted should not be ground”. Seeing that her struggle in wars and happier life before the war, it is all too convinced that how she could have been happier if it were no war.

Can I say this grief is an “ingredient for the masterpiece”? As Kaethe Kollwitz also said, she could not possibly say to anyone who lost their families that this tragedy makes you stronger. If anything we can learn from her art, it could be that the violence is never hesitating to reach out to anyone who we love and how we easily forget this from our daily life.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books contains Kathe's diary entries and letters. Kathe was an artist that so beautifully captured the effects of poverty, hunger and war on the working class. Her work is phenomenal and depicts so much emotion. The diary and letters give the reader a chance to get to know her private thoughts. The book is not just about her art but about her life. Despite living through two wars and suffering personal loss, I found her very upbeat at times, religious and always looking at the beauty around her. Great book for someone who wants to know the woman behind the hauntingly sad and intense prints and drawings.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is so revealing to see what Kollwitz wrote about to her friends and family. Also interesting is to see what is missing from the 1930's-40's. A majority of the book covers letters from the 1920's and earlier.

[Liina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is deeply moving as is Käthe Kollwitz's art.

[Jill McGillicuddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting woman, and well written. Her story has me realizing I need to read more about general German citizens during the 1930s and 1940s.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Her journal entries and letters were cut Way too much. Disappointed.