A German-Jewish author, poet, playwright, performer, and anarchist, he is known for works such as Die Eigenen and R terepublik. In the years leading up to World War II, he had a second career as a prominent cabaret performer. In many of his performances, he poked fun at Hitler. He published his first poetry collection, Der wahre Jacob, in 1901. A play, Die Hochstapler (The Con Men), soon followed.
