Who was Max Brod and how did he become Franz Kafka’s closest friend?

Max Brod (1884–1968) was a German-language novelist, essayist, and critic born in Prague. While he maintained a prolific career as a writer and a drama and music critic for the Prager Tagblatt, he is best remembered today as the devoted friend and literary executor of Franz Kafka.1

Brod and Kafka became acquainted in 1902 while both were studying law at the University of Prague. Their meeting marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship, with Brod becoming the most intimate and solicitous companion in Kafka’s life.12

Despite Kafka’s explicit instructions to destroy his unpublished manuscripts upon his death, Brod made the ethical decision to defy those wishes. He believed the work was of significant value and subsequently edited and published Kafka’s major writings, diaries, and letters throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Through these efforts, Brod acted as the primary promoter, interpreter, and biographer of Kafka, ensuring his friend's literary legacy survived.12