Walter Benjamin (Berlin, 1892 – Portbou, 1940) was a German philosopher, literary critic, translator, and essayist whose work remains relevant to this day. His thought developed by incorporating elements of German idealism and Romanticism, historical materialism, and Jewish mysticism, which allowed him to make significant contributions to the aesthetic theory of Marxism. In the turbulent 1930s, Benjamin's efforts to develop a materialist aesthetic theory provided a major stimulus for other members of the Frankfurt School.