Manfred Kyber, born in Riga (then under Russian rule), grew up on his father's estate. He studied philosophy in Leipzig and later moved to Berlin, where he lived for ten years and published his first works. He lived in Löwenstein, Württemberg (southern Germany) since 1923. In addition to poems, a novel, plays, theater criticism and an introduction to occultism, he primarily wrote fairy tales and animal stories – partially humorous, partially serious – which, reminiscent of La Fontaine, humanize animals to a certain degree to convey their feelings and elaborate on philosophical questions. He became famous for his stories Unter Tieren (Among Animals). He was a pacifist and advocate of animals' rights. He died on March 10, 1933 in Löwenstein.

(Compiled by J. Beilharz, December 2001)