Hermann Karl Hesse was born on 2 July 1877 in Calw, a town in the Northern Black Forest of Germany. His father, Johannes Hesse, was of Baltic German descent, and his mother, Marie Gundert, had French-Swiss roots. Hesse's grandparents were missionaries in India, and his grandfather compiled a Malayalam grammar and contributed to a Bible translation. Hesse grew up in a Pietist household, which influenced his early life and literary themes.Hesse's childhood was marked by a strong will and a passionate temperament, leading to conflicts with his family. He showed signs of depression early on and struggled with his education, attending various institutions, including the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Maulbronn. After a suicide attempt, he spent time in a sanatorium and later completed his schooling at a Gymnasium in Cannstatt in 1893. Following his formal education, Hesse became an autodidact, reading widely and beginning to publish poetry and prose in the late 1890s.His first novel, Peter Camenzind, was published in 1904 and marked the beginning of his literary career. Hesse married Maria Bernoulli in 1904, and they settled in Gaienhofen on Lake Constance, where he wrote Beneath the Wheel and other works. His interest in Eastern philosophies, particularly Buddhism, grew during this period, influencing his later writings, including Siddhartha, published in 1922.During World War I, Hesse volunteered for military service but was deemed unfit for combat. He wrote an essay opposing nationalism and war, which led to public controversy and personal crises, including the death of his father and his wife's mental illness. After the war, Hesse moved to Ticino, Switzerland, where he lived in Casa Camuzzi and produced significant works, including Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game, published in 1943.Hesse's literary contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He continued to write poetry and essays, reflecting on his experiences and alienation from society. Hesse died on 9 August 1962 in Montagnola, Switzerland, and was buried in the cemetery of Sant’Abbondio in Gentilino. His works, which explore themes of self-discovery and spirituality, gained popularity posthumously, particularly in the United States during the 1960s counterculture movement.

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Hermann Hesse