Frank Arnau

Frank Arnau (March 9, 1894 – February 11, 1976) was the pseudonym of a German crime fiction writer, born as Heinrich Schmitt. Arnau was born in Vienna, the son of a hotel manager.

He began his literary career as a newspaper journalist. With the political ascent of Hitler, this avowed opponent of National Socialism emigrated in 1933, first to France, then in 1939 to Brazil, where he lived until 1955. There he was further active as journalist and freelance writer. After his return to Germany he worked as a freelancer for Stern magazine.

Arnau wrote over a hundred books and was president of the German league for human rights.

He wrote stage plays, novels, detective stories and critical studies about society and the legal system.

In 1934 he described the ascent of the Nazis in his novel Die braune Pest (The Brown Plague).

In 1959 he published a book about counterfeiting art, entitled Kunst der Fälscher – Fälscher der Kunst. 3000 Jahre Betrug mit Antiquitäten (translated in English as The Art of the Faker - 3,000 Years of Deception).

He died at Munich in 1976.