Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was one of the greatest lyric German-language poets. In 1902 he became a friend, and for a time the secretary, of Rodin, and it was during his 12-year Paris residence that Rilke enjoyed his greatest poetic activity. He spent the last years of his life living in seclusion in Switzerland. .
Burton Pike (1930-2022) was a translator of German and French, known particularly for his work on Robert Musil, including the translation, with Sophie Wilkins, of The Man Without Qualities (1996). He was, as well, a scholar of literature, culture, and translation, author of Robert Musil: An Introduction to His Work (1961) and The Image of the City in Modern Literature (1981).