Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss writer and painter who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. During World War I, he lived in Switzerland, where he became a peace advocate. Influenced in part by Switzerland’s neutrality during this time, Hesse’s written work, including Demian, explores themes of self-awareness and independence in a time that prioritized nationalism and collective identity. Hesse acknowledged that the influence of the Nazi party diminished his presence in the literary world in Germany during his lifetime. After the fall of the Nazi party, Hesse’s work gained popularity in Germany as well as many other English-speaking countries and continues to maintain popularity in the 21st century. After his death, Steppenwolf, his most popular work, became an influential text for the counterculture movement of the 1960s due to its themes of self-discovery and authenticity.

In Hesse’s work, philosophical concepts exist alongside fictional elements. His writing engages with authenticity, spirituality, and body-spirit duality, the philosophical notion of viewing the physical body and the immaterial spirit or soul as separate and distinct entities with different natures. Hesse’s work also often comments on the importance of identity and independent thought. He described himself as particularly influenced by Indian and Chinese philosophy.