Nelly Sachs, born Leonie Sachs on December 10, 1891, was an influential poet whose life journey led her from Berlin to Stockholm. Born to an affluent and assimilated German family, her early years were marked by a distance from Judaism, which later became a central theme in her work. Despite personal and historical upheavals, Sachs emerged as a Nobel laureate, recognized for her profound literary contribution.

Early Life and Education

Growing up as the sole child of William and Margarete Karger Sachs, Nelly was raised in a well-off, liberal environment. Her father, an inventor and industrialist, was a prominent figure, while her mother managed the household. The family had largely stepped away from traditional Jewish customs in favor of broader German cultural norms, which influenced Sachs's early writings more towards Christian themes than Jewish ones. Due to difficulties adjusting to formal schooling, Nelly received her education at home, where she was exposed to the arts, including literature, music, and dance. Her father played the piano, while Nelly performed dances for her parents, fostering an early appreciation for the creative arts. Despite this nurturing environment, Sachs was largely solitary, with few friends beyond her family circle. Little is known about her childhood, except for an ill-fated romantic involvement during her teenage years, which, although vague in details, reportedly spurred her first foray into poetry at 17.

Personal Struggles and Literary Beginnings

In 1930, the death of her father marked a significant change in her life, as she continued to live at home, caring for her mother. During this period, Nelly Sachs began a pivotal correspondence with the acclaimed Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf. As the political climate in Germany worsened with the rise of the Nazis, Sachs found herself in imminent danger. It was through Lagerlöf's intervention with Swedish authorities, facilitated by her friend Gudrun Harlen, that Sachs and her mother secured permission to escape to Sweden. Just as she was about to be sent to a labor camp, Sachs managed to flee Germany, boarding one of the last passenger flights from Berlin to Stockholm in May 1940. The escape meant leaving behind her family's wealth and starting anew in a foreign land.

Life in Exile and Continued Writing

Settling in Stockholm, Sachs lived modestly, translating Swedish literature into German to support herself and her mother. The strain of these dramatic life changes, coupled with the horror of the Holocaust, took a toll on her mental health, leading to periods of institutionalization and treatment for depression. Nevertheless, Sachs’s literary output continued. The devastation of the Holocaust profoundly deepened her connection to Judaism, a theme that became increasingly prominent in her later work.

Literary Achievements and Recognition

Sachs’s initial publication, Legenden und Erzaehlungen, was released in 1921 in Berlin, offering a collection of medieval stories dedicated to Lagerlöf. However, it was only after World War II that her writing truly flourished. Her second book, In den Wohnungen des Todes (In the Dwellings of Death), published in 1946, marked a stark shift in subject matter, focusing on themes of suffering and resilience. This was followed by a series of poetry books and her acclaimed play, Eli: Ein Mysterienspiel vom Leiden Israels (Eli: A Mystery Play of the Sufferings of Israel), first performed in 1951. The latter addressed the agonies endured by the Jewish people, reflecting her renewed religious and cultural identity.

Legacy and Impact

Among her numerous accolades, Nelly Sachs was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966, an honor she shared with Israeli writer S. Y. Agnon. Her 1966 publication, Die Suchende (The Seeker), from which "But Perhaps God Needs the Longing" is drawn, further solidified her status as a profound voice in literature. Though Sachs passed away in 1970 in Stockholm, her work continues to resonate, offering insights into the human condition and the enduring spirit of survival amidst adversity.

Through her poignant exploration of identity, exile, and faith, Nelly Sachs remains a testament to the power of literature as a means of understanding and overcoming the darkest chapters of history.