Peter Altenberg: a neglected writer of the Viennese Jahrhundertwende

This study offers a revaluation of the works of Peter Altenberg, a neglected writer of the Viennese «Jahrhundertwende», who influenced such diverse figures as Karl Kraus, Robert Musil, Rainer Maria Rilke, Franz Kafka and Georg Kaiser. Presenting Altenberg within the context of Vienna at the turn of the century, it provides a comprehensive analysis of his thought, literary theory and practice. It examines: his socio-cultural critique; his blueprint for a new society; the principle of aesthetic reductionism which he pioneered; his conception of woman; and his presentation of modern man's existential crisis.