Kurt Tucholsky

Kurt Tucholsky (9 January 1890 – 21 December 1935) was a German journalist, satirist and lyricist.

Sourced

• Der Mensch gönnt seiner Gattung nichts, daher hat er die Gesetze erfunden. Er darf nicht, also sollen die andern auch nicht.
  • Translated: Mankind doesn't grant itself anything - that is why it has invented the law. It isn't allowed for him so it shouldn't be allowed for others.
  • From Der Mensch', published 1931.
• Der Mensch hat neben dem Trieb der Fortpflanzung und dem, zu essen und zu trinken, zwei Leidenschaften: Krach zu machen und nicht zuzuhören.
  • From Der Mensch', published 1931.
  • Translated: Man has - next to the drives of Reproduction and dining - two passions: Making noise and not listening.
• Da gab es vier Jahre lang ganze Quadratmeilen Landes, auf denen war der Mord obligatorisch, während er eine halbe Stunde davon entfernt ebenso streng verboten war. Sagte ich: Mord? Natürlich Mord. Soldaten sind Mörder.
  • Translated: For four years, there were whole square miles of land where murder was obligatory, while it was strictly forbidden half an hour away. Did I say: murder? Of course murder. Soldiers are murderers.
  • From Der bewachte Kriegsschauplatz, published 1931 under the pseudonym Ignaz Wrobel; compare [1].
• Die menschliche Dummheit ist international.
  • Translated: Human stupidity is international.
  • From Schnipsel, published 1973, p. 102.

Unsourced

• The cruelty of most people is lack of imagination, their brutality is ignorance.
• I do not want to think about the Church; there is no use discussing with a religion if its point of view has been protected by the penal law. (about the fact that in Germany critics of the two major churches are usually prosecuted based on §166 which prohibits this in public)