Agnes von Kurowsky

American nurse

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July 22, 2026

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Agnes von Kurowsky was an American nurse who served with the American Red Cross in Italy during World War I. She met Ernest Hemingway, then an ambulance driver, when he was wounded and hospitalized in Milan. Von Kurowsky cared for Hemingway during his recovery, and they developed a close relationship. Hemingway fell in love with her and was deeply affected when she ended their relationship, viewing her as more of a mother figure. This experience significantly influenced Hemingway's writing, particularly his novel A Farewell to Arms, where the character Catherine Barkley is based on von Kurowsky.12

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A Farewell to Arms
Autobiographical elements
…love with a nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky. At age 26, von Kurowsky was seven years his senior. Although she did not fully reciprocate his love, von Kurowsky was fond of Hemingway and enjoyed his company. In a diary entry on August 25, 1918, she wrote that Hemingway “has a…
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…love with a nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky. At age 26, von Kurowsky was seven years his senior. Although she did not fully reciprocate his love, von Kurowsky was fond of Hemingway and enjoyed his company. In a diary entry on August 25, 1918, she wrote that Hemingway “has a…
Read More