Karl Kraus

Karl Kraus (1874–1936) was an Austrian writer and satirist, born in Jičín (then in Austria-Hungary) and active mainly in Vienna. He founded, edited, and published the influential journal *Die Fackel* (1899–1936), using it to wage relentless campaigns against journalistic corruption, political hypocrisy, and the misuse of language. A formidable public speaker, he became one of the sharpest critics of modern mass media and the moral failures of his age. His major work, *The Last Days of Mankind* (1918–1922), is a vast, collage-like drama exposing the absurdity and brutality of World War I.