Must Know
German philosopher, aesthetician, cultural critic, essayist and translator. He is considered one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. Born in Berlin to an assimilated family. His writings combined elements of German Idealism, Romanticism, Jewish mysticism and later in the 1930s, Marxism. Benjamin’s work remains highly influential in the fields of aesthetic theory, cultural and literary criticism and historical materialism. Among his writings, the seminal essay The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Theses On the Concept of History and Arcades Project. Benjamin committed suicide at the French-Spanish border after being informed that he would be turned over to the Gestapo.
