Imre Kertesz

Date of Birth: November 9, 1929

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: March 31, 2016

Biography

Imre Kertész was a Hungarian author and Holocaust survivor, best known for his novel “Fatelessness,” which is a semi-autobiographical account of a young boy’s experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Kertész was deported to Auschwitz at the age of 14, and later transferred to Buchenwald. After World War II, he returned to Hungary and worked as a journalist and translator. His works often explore themes of identity, memory, and the human condition under totalitarian regimes. Kertész’s profound impact on literature was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002. He continued to write and publish until his death in 2016.

5 Interesting Facts about Imre Kertesz

1. Imre Kertész was the first Hungarian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

2. He survived both Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during World War II.

3. Besides being an author, Kertész was also a translator, translating works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud into Hungarian.

4. His novel “Fatelessness” was adapted into a film in 2005.

5. Kertész was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 1997.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Imre Kertesz

1. “I am a nonbeliever after Auschwitz.”

2. “One who lives in the shadow of death can never be completely free.”

3. “The Holocaust has been a trauma not only for Jews but for humanity itself.”

4. “I am a writer who writes in order to understand.”

5. “I didn’t want to write a book about the Holocaust; I wanted to write a book about the human condition.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

While exact figures are not publicly available, Imre Kertész’s net worth was estimated to be in the range of $1 million to $5 million at the height of his career, primarily from book sales and literary awards.

Children

Imre Kertész did not have any biological children. However, he was married twice, and his second wife, Magda Ambrus, whom he married in 1995, was a significant figure in his life and supported his literary career.