Hermann Harry Schmitz (1880-1913) grew up in Düsseldorf as the son of a factory director. Since 1906, he published surreal-grotesque short stories in magazines. In 1911, his first collection of stories was released under the title "The Infant and Other Catastrophes." In addition, Schmitz wrote short plays, essays, and poems, and also performed as a master of ceremonies. When there was no longer any hope for the cure of his severe lung tuberculosis, he shot himself in August 1913. With his unique narratives, often written in an artfully naive style, Schmitz targeted the petty-bourgeois world of his time, exaggerating its meaningless rituals and petty behaviors to the point of absurdity and the worst possible outcomes.