Maha Guru, Geschichte eines Gottes

work by Gutzkow

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June 30, 2026

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Maha Guru, Geschichte eines Gottes (1833), translated as "Maha Guru, Story of a God," is a satirical romance by Karl Gutzkow. Gutzkow was a German novelist and dramatist, considered a pioneer of the modern social novel in Germany. This work was his first to gain attention. The term "guru" in Hinduism refers to a spiritual teacher or guide. In some traditions, Shiva is revered as the original guru, having shared sacred knowledge on a full-moon day, which is commemorated as Guru Purnima. Gutzkow's work, however, uses the term in a fantastical, satirical context.123

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Karl Gutzkow
…attention with the publication of Maha Guru, Geschichte eines Gottes (1833; “Maha Guru, Story of a God”), a fantastic satirical romance. In 1835 he published Wally, die Zweiflerin (“Wally, the Doubter”), an attack on marriage, coloured by religious skepticism, that marked the beginning of the revolt of the Young Germany…
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…attention with the publication of Maha Guru, Geschichte eines Gottes (1833; “Maha Guru, Story of a God”), a fantastic satirical romance. In 1835 he published Wally, die Zweiflerin (“Wally, the Doubter”), an attack on marriage, coloured by religious skepticism, that marked the beginning of the revolt of the Young Germany…
Read More