"Almost something became of me..." - this quote is characteristic of the multifaceted artist personality of Karl Jakob Hirsch (1892-1952), the poet, graphic artist, painter, set designer, journalist, and author. This work deals with this diverse talent, which evolved from Expressionism in printmaking through Worpswede to the theater of the People's Stage in the 1920s and to literature - the novel "Kaiserwetter" from 1931 was Karl Jakob Hirsch's greatest success. Shortly thereafter, the politically left-leaning Jew had to flee Germany and tried to establish himself again in New York exile. When he was unsuccessful both as a writer and in his religious pursuits, he converted to Protestantism and returned to Germany after the war, now as GI Joe Gassner. Hirsch's complete works include "Heimkehr zu Gott," which was also received controversially.