The World of Yesterday. Memories of a European

"The World of Yesterday" is the last book of the famous Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, created in exile during the height of World War II. First and foremost, it is a farewell book. For the last time, Stefan Zweig looks back at the majestic edifice of European culture, condemned to demolition by the German troops. He lists the names of books, cities, and streets, the happy and sad events that made up the first half of the 20th century, and writes lovingly about the people he is proud to have known. However, "The World of Yesterday" is not just a collection of memories. The book is conceived as a ruthless confession of a son of his century. "So much had to happen," Zweig writes in the preface, "events, trials, and catastrophes, before I found the courage to start the book in which my 'I' is the main character."