Among the authors of his generation, Hesse's publisher Peter Suhrkamp noted that there are hardly any who buried their own corpse so often and started anew each time on a different level. And each time, it happened out of a genuine necessity, and when one looks at the entirety of existence, it has remained a unity. These regenerative impulses are what give the writings of Hermann Hesse their power and secure the trust of ever-new readerships around the world. The thoughts gathered in this volume about youth and old age, school, education, and the significance of the individual who defies conformity are more relevant today than ever.