1913. The Summer of a Whole Century

Before you is a chronicle of the last peaceful year before World War I, in which many events occurred that became iconic for the culture of the 20th century. In 1913, Proust's novel "Swann's Way" was published, Spengler began working on "The Decline of the West", the scandalous Paris premiere of Stravinsky's ballet "The Rite of Spring" took place, and a concert of Schoenberg's dodecaphonic music was held, the first version of Malevich's "Black Square" was written, the first Prada boutique opened, Louis Armstrong picked up a trumpet, Stalin illegally arrived in Vienna, while Hitler left it. The author, a German critic and essayist who changed his workplace during the last crisis from a newspaper to an auction house, and his area of interest from sharp topicality to old art, created a fascinating panorama of the vibrant cultural life of the modernist era. The press called the book a "gigantic teaser" of the 20th century and the most vivid reminder of how what seemed to be a given turned out to be fragile, even defenseless.