In this collection of writings, Carl Zuckmayer evokes individuals whose actions or life stories are part of the history of our century or its prehistory. In 1976, shortly before his death, he selected, organized, and annotated these works created since 1922. He recalls the 19th century as well as his own: essays on Heinrich Heine and the Brothers Grimm are juxtaposed with portraits of contemporaries and friends. Some of them have faded into silence - Carl Zuckmayer brings them back to our consciousness; he vividly and precisely outlines their paths, recounting his encounters with them, their work, or their creations: Gerhart Hauptmann, Carlo Mierendorff, Max Reinhardt, Gertrud von Le Fort - he places them all in their historical context, thereby highlighting their enduring relevance.