Born: 15 July 1892 · Died: 26 September 1940 · Age at death: 48
How old was Walter Benjamin when he died?
Walter Benjamin died aged 48. He was born on 15 July 1892 and died on 26 September 1940.
German philosopher and influential cultural critic
Did you know?He died by suicide while attempting to flee through the Pyrenees to escape the advancing Nazi forces during the Second World War.
Quick facts
Date of birth15 July 1892
Date of death26 September 1940
Age at death48
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceBerlin, Germany
Occupationphilosopher, writer, translator
Editor's Take:
Walter Benjamin looked at photographs, shop arcades and toys and found in them the story of modern life. His essay on mechanical reproduction asked what happens to art when it can be copied endlessly. It remains central to media studies. He wrote in short, dense flashes rather than long systems. Forced into exile by the Nazis, he died at the Spanish border in 1940. He had feared he would be handed back. Fame came only after his death.
Key Milestones
1928: Publishes One-Way Street
1933: Flees Germany for Paris
1935: Writes his essay on art and reproduction
1940: Dies at Portbou while escaping
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin ( BEN-yə-min; German:; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, media theorist, and essayist.
Walter Benjamin's birthday is July 15. He was born on July 15, 1892 in Berlin, Germany.
How old was Walter Benjamin when he died?
Walter Benjamin died on September 26, 1940, aged 48.
Who shares a birthday with Walter Benjamin?
Famous people who share Walter Benjamin's July 15 birthday include Rembrandt, Jacques Derrida, Hassanal Bolkiah I of Brunei, Vilfredo Pareto and Diane Kruger.
