Ernst Balcke German poet. Date of Birth: 09.04.1888 Country: Germany

1. Ernst Balcke: A German Poet
2. Meeting Georg Heym
3. Literary Career
4. Tragic Demise
5. Posthumous Publication

Ernst Balcke: A German Poet

Ernst Balcke was born on December 27, 1888, in Liegnitz, Germany. His father, Oskar Balcke, was a banker, and his mother, Elisabeth L'Erme, was a merchant's daughter. Balcke studied Romance Philology and English in Berlin, Munich, Besançon, and Edinburgh. In December 1911, he passed the state examination for higher teaching at the University of Berlin.

Meeting Georg Heym

During his time in Berlin, Balcke became a member of the avant-garde circle at the New Club. It was there that he met the expressionist poet Georg Heym. The two poets formed a close friendship and collaborated on several literary projects.

Literary Career

Balcke was a talented poet who wrote primarily occasional verse. His poems were published in the expressionist journal Die Aktion. The renowned literary critic Kurt Hiller praised Balcke's work for its "unique blend of melancholy and irony."

Tragic Demise

On January 11, 1912, Balcke and Heym went on a canoe trip on the Havel River in Potsdam. The canoe capsized, and both poets drowned. Balcke was 23 years old at the time of his death.

Posthumous Publication

In 1914, two years after Balcke's death, a collection of his poems was published posthumously by Reuss & Pollack in Berlin. The volume served as a testament to the brief but brilliant literary career of Ernst Balcke.