With thanks to AC Benus for finding this poet for us
Hermann Plagge was born on 11th June 1888, in Weener/Ostfriesland, Germany. He was the fourth child of farmer and cattle dealer Otto Plagge and his wife Margaretha Henderika. Hermann had nine siblings and was the only child in his family to attend university
Educated initially at a primary school in his birthplace, Herman went on to study at the Royal Gymnasium in Leer. He passed his Abitur (university entrance examination) there at Easter. From the summer semester of 1908 to the winter semester of 1908/09, he studied Modern Philology in Munich. From 1st May 1909 to 6th March 1913, he continued his studies at the Royal Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin. In the spring of 1913, he left the university without graduating, receiving a leaving certificate.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Hermann immediately joined the German army and fought mostly on the front lines.
Unlike most of his fellow poets, Hermann did not rejoice at the outbreak of war. He immediately recorded his experiences as a soldier with remarkable detachment, documenting his observations with sober objectivity. The pathos typical of the time remained foreign to him. He avoided absurd exaggerations, did not adhere to traditions, and wrote without rhyme and with remarkable freedom. He developed his own style and moved within the early transition from Expressionism to New Objectivity.
Hermann survived the war but drowned while swimming in Mainz on 16th September 1918.
Source: Wikipedia
