Siegfried Jacobsohn

German writer and influential theatre critic who distinguished himself as a harsh opponent of dilettantism on the stage. During the Weimar Republic, Jacobsohn belonged to the few critics who immediately saw the potential of Bertolt Brecht, Arnolt Bronnen and Carl Zuckmeyer.

His first contribution in Die Welt am Montag was published in March 1901. In June 1902 he became editor of the magazine, his contract lasting for three years. In September 1902 he also assumed the role of theatre critic in Berlin for the Viennese daily Die Zeit.

Following a journey through Europe lasting for several months during which he visited Vienna, Rome and Paris he returned to Berlin planning to establish a theatre magazine. The first edition of this magazine, which he named Die Schaubühne, solely specialised in the theatre and was published on 7 September 1905.

From 1913 onwards Jacobsohn gradually opened up the "rag," as he like to call his magazine, to include political topics. In April 1918 he changed the name to Die Weltbühne and developed it into a pacifist forum for the German Left.

After World War I, Jacobsohn promoted the work of Leopold Jessner, the artistic director of the State Theatre in Berlin.

Jacobsohn had an extremely pugnacious personality. He died on 3 December 1926, aged 45. Kurt Tucholsky briefly assumed editorship of Die Weltbühne until May 1927. His task was then taken over by Carl von Ossietzky until the last edition was published on 7 March 1933, when it was banned by the Nazi Party. The archives were confiscated and have subsequently disappeared without a trace.