Der Stern von Bethlehem

Konstantin Vaginov, born in 1899 in St. Petersburg, was one of the most significant poets of the Russian avant-garde. Coming from a German officer family, Vaginov initially studied law and joined the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. As a poet, he moved within the circle of Acmeists around Nikolai Gumiljow and became a member of the later banned artists' association OBERIU. His poetry is characterized by an originality and complexity that reflect the author's intellectual independence. Konstantin Vaginov died of tuberculosis in 1934.

Peter Urban, born in 1941 in Berlin, was a writer, translator, and long-time editor and publisher. After studying Slavic studies, German studies, and history in Würzburg and Belgrade, he worked as an editor for Slavic literatures at Suhrkamp Verlag from 1966 to 1968 and later became one of the co-founders of the Verlag der Autoren. From 1989 onwards, he worked as a freelance writer and translator, setting standards with his outstanding translations of Chekhov. Peter Urban received numerous awards and honors, including the Translator's Prize from the Academy for Language and Literature and the Helmut M. Braem Translator's Prize. He was a member of the German Academy for Language and Literature.