1990 will see the 100th anniversary of the birth of Franz Werfel. The time has therefore come to reassess this writer whom Kafka called a 'miracle' and who to this day has a large and devoted following. The essays collected in this volume were first given at an international symposium; they throw new light on various aspects of Werfel's poetry, drama and fiction which are put in the context of contemporary developments such as Freud's ideas, Expressionism and Austrian historical drama.