Ernst Toller Quotes

Powerful Ernst Toller for Daily Growth

About Ernst Toller

Ernst Toller (February 1, 1893 – April 22, 1939), a German poet, playwright, and political activist, was born in Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland) and raised in Munich, Germany. His father, a strict Lutheran minister, and his mother, an artistically inclined woman, influenced Toller's dual interests in religion and art. In 1912, Toller enrolled at the University of Munich to study theology but soon became more interested in literature and philosophy. Influenced by Nietzsche, Rilke, and Thomas Mann, he began writing poetry. His first collection, "Der Krieg" (The War), was published in 1918. Toller's life took a dramatic turn during the German Revolution of 1918-1919. He emerged as a leading figure of the workers' and soldiers' councils movement. Influenced by Marxism, Toller co-founded the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic in April 1919. Following its suppression by the German Army, he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for treason. However, international pressure led to his release and exile. In 1924, Toller's play "Die Maschine Stürzt Hoch" (The Machine Wrecks) made him famous in the United States. His most successful work, "Jedermann" (Everyman), a modern reinterpretation of the medieval morality play, was first performed in 1920 and has been widely performed worldwide since then. Toller spent the rest of his life moving between Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, struggling to find acceptance due to his political views. His works reflected his deep concern for humanity and social justice. Despite personal struggles with mental illness and financial hardship, Toller continued writing until his death in 1939 in America. Today, Ernst Toller is remembered as a significant figure in the history of German literature and politics, whose life and works reflect the tumultuous times of post-World War I Germany and the rise of fascism.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"A man who has no tears in his heart, no dreams in his soul - how can he be whole?"

This quote by Ernst Toller emphasizes the importance of emotions and imagination in a person's life. A heart devoid of tears suggests a lack of empathy, compassion, or sensitivity – qualities that make us human. Dreams represent aspirations, goals, and visions that give meaning to our lives. When these elements are absent, a person may feel incomplete, lacking depth and richness in their existence. To be whole, one should have the capacity for deep feelings and the drive to pursue personal dreams.

"Courage is the might which enables one to face the occupying army alone. Cowardice is the habit of fleeing at its approach."

This quote by Ernst Toller highlights the contrast between courage and cowardice, suggesting that the former is a powerful quality enabling one to confront challenges or adversities alone, while cowardice is characterized by avoidance or flight in the face of difficulty or danger. The "occupying army" can be interpreted metaphorically as any formidable challenge or obstacle one may encounter in life. Courage, according to Toller, is not just about physical bravery but also about standing up against adversity with resilience and determination.

"The more one suffers, the more happy one can be."

This quote suggests that deep emotional suffering can serve as a catalyst for greater happiness, implying that overcoming adversity or pain can lead to profound personal growth and a deeper appreciation for life's moments of joy. It emphasizes the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit, encouraging us to find meaning and happiness even in the face of hardship.

"To have a child is to become a bridge over which much of eternity may pass."

This quote by Ernst Toller suggests that having a child symbolizes creating a connection between generations, allowing the wisdom, love, and experiences of one generation to be passed down to future ones. It implies that the parent-child bond transcends time and serves as a bridge for the continuity of life, culture, and human potential, metaphorically spanning "much of eternity."

"Dare to love me. Dare to be yourself."

Ernst Toller's quote, "Dare to love me. Dare to be yourself," is a call for authenticity and vulnerability in human connection. It encourages people to embrace their true selves when connecting with others, and to not hold back from expressing genuine emotions like love. In essence, this quote highlights the importance of being fearlessly honest, embracing individuality, and fostering deep, meaningful relationships built on trust and authenticity.

The revolution is like a vessel filled with the pulsating heartbeat of millions of working people.

- Ernst Toller

Like, Working People, Heartbeat

Gradually I became aware of details: a company of French soldiers was marching through the streets of the town. They broke formation, and went in single file along the communication trench leading to the front line. Another group followed them.

- Ernst Toller

Through, Streets, Became, Trench

After that I could never pass a dead man without stopping to gaze on his face, stripped by death of that earthly patina which masks the living soul. And I would ask, who were you? Where was your home? Who is mourning for you now?

- Ernst Toller

Death, Soul, Stripped, Earthly

Most people have no imagination. If they could imagine the sufferings of others, they would not make them suffer so. What separated a German mother from a French mother?

- Ernst Toller

Could, Imagine, German, Sufferings

The working class will not halt until socialism has been realized.

- Ernst Toller

Will, Been, Working Class, Halt

We revolutionaries acknowledge the right to revolution when we see that the situation is no longer tolerable, that it has become a frozen. Then we have the right to overthrow it.

- Ernst Toller

Right, Frozen, Then, Tolerable

At that moment of realization I knew that I had been blind because I had wished not to see; it was only then that I realised, at last, that all these dead men, French and Germans, were brothers, and I was the brother of them all.

- Ernst Toller

Blind, Been, Realised, French

We thrust our fingers into our ears to stop its moan; but it was no good; the cry cut like a drill into our heads, dragging minutes into hours, hours into years. We withered and grew old between those cries.

- Ernst Toller

Hours, Cut, Cries, Withered

As a boy I used to go to the Chamber of Horrors at the annual fair, to look at the wax figures of Emperors and Kings, of heroes and murderers of the day. The dead now had that same unreality, which shocks without arousing pity.

- Ernst Toller

Dead, Had, Figures, Shocks

Soldiers and peasants lived together on friendly terms; they knew each other and their everyday routines, and trusted each other; they shook their heads together over the war.

- Ernst Toller

Other, Over, Friendly, Everyday

Later we learned that it was one of our own men hanging on the wire. Nobody could do anything for him; two men had already tried to save him, only to be shot themselves.

- Ernst Toller

Own, Could, Learned, Wire

Each had defended his own country; the Germans Germany, the Frenchmen France; they had done their duty.

- Ernst Toller

Country, Own, Germany, Frenchmen

And the spirit of revolution will not die while the hearts of these workers continue to beat.

- Ernst Toller

Die, Will, Continue, Hearts

And suddenly, like light in darkness, the real truth broke in upon me; the simple fact of Man, which I had forgotten, which had lain deep buried and out of sight; the idea of community, of unity.

- Ernst Toller

Deep, Fact, Idea, Forgotten

Slogans which deafened us so that we could not hear the truth.

- Ernst Toller

Truth, Could, Which, Slogans

How happy I am to go to the front at last. To do my bit. To prove with my life what I think I feel.

- Ernst Toller

My Life, Think, I Think, Prove

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