Mayor Benz praises Würth's contributions to Darmstadt's literary history
On the 125th anniversary of Joseph "Pepy" Würth's birth on March 17, 2025, Mayor Hanno Benz posthumously honored the Darmstadt publisher, art historian, and patron of literature. Benz stated that Würth, as the founder of the magazine "Dachstube" and publisher of the journal "Tribunal," left a significant mark on Darmstadt's cultural and publishing history: "Joseph Würth rendered outstanding service to Darmstadt as a city of literature and culture."
Würth was born on March 17, 1900, in Darmstadt. While still a student at the Ludwig-Georgs-Gymnasium, he founded the literary magazine "Die Dachstube" in 1915 together with his classmates and close friends Carlo Mierendorff and Theodor Haubach. This cultural and literary journal of literary Expressionism attracted considerable attention due to its high-quality texts, even though its technical production was initially modest.
After the First World War, Würth continued his literary pursuits. As a publisher, from 1919 to 1921 he produced the journal "Das Tribunal. Hessische Radikale Blätter" (The Tribunal. Hessian Radical Papers), edited by Carlo Mierendorff, which became one of the most important cultural journals of the Weimar Republic. Würth also published other book series, including "Die kleine Republik" (The Little Republic) and "Bücher der Dachstube" (Books of the Attic).
During the firebombing of Darmstadt on September 11, 1944, Würth lost not only all his possessions but also his workshop and printing press. After the war, he returned to Darmstadt in 1946 and in 1947 honored his deceased friend Carlo Mierendorff with a literary tribute.
Joseph "Pepy" Würth died on October 12, 1948, at the age of 48. Since 1956, Würthweg in Darmstadt has commemorated the important publisher and patron of the arts.
Photo: Joseph ‘Pepy’ Würth. Source: City of Darmstadt – City Archives
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/fre/ho)
