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Book synopsis

"Hinkemann" is a powerful and harrowing expressionist tragedy by Ernst Toller, one of the most significant figures of the German revolutionary period. The play centers on Eugen Hinkemann, a veteran who returns from the Great War physically and spiritually broken. Having suffered a permanent injury that leaves him emasculated, Hinkemann finds himself an outcast in a society that prizes virility and strength. As he struggles to find work and maintain his relationship with his wife, Grete, he eventually finds employment as a carnival performer, biting the heads off live animals to entertain a cruel and mocking public.

Through this visceral narrative, Toller explores themes of psychological trauma, the dehumanizing effects of war, and the cold indifference of modern industrial society. "Hinkemann" serves as a scathing critique of a world that discards those it has used and broken, reflecting the deep disillusionment of the post-war era. This work is a masterpiece of expressionist theater, known for its raw emotional intensity and its unflinching look at the human condition in the wake of global conflict. It remains a poignant study of loss, masculinity, and the search for dignity in an undignified age.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

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Book details

• Full title: Hinkemann
• Author: Ernst Toller
• Language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 76
• EAN: 9781025706177
• ISBN: 102570617X
• ID: 51597167
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Weight: 121 g
• Dimensions: 234 × 156 × 4 mm
• Date of publishing: 14. February 2026

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