ABSTRACT
Otto Gross's revolutionary psychoanalytical and social theories not only in¯uenced psychoanalysis and radical left-wing and anarchist politics, but also writers. Gross's strong criticism of patriarchal society and his views of a matriarchal utopia where no restraints would hinder individual development seemed to offer solutions to many problems of the times. For some writers, such as Franz Jung and Leonhard Frank, Gross's in¯uence was long lasting, whereas for others, such as Johannes R. Becher and Franz Kafka, it was more ¯eeting. Still others, such as Max Brod and Oskar Maria Graf, portray Gross ®gures in their works. This chapter surveys Gross's impact on a variety of creative writers and on one artist, Georg Schrimpf, and highlights aspects of his thinking that they found compelling.
