National Library of Israel digitalises Kafka's manuscripts - in pictures

Czech-Jewish writer regarded as one of the 20th century's great German-language authors

The National Library of Israel has put its Franz Kafka Papers online, making available long-lost documents by one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. Dr Stefan Litt shows original manuscripts written in German by the writer. AFP

An original drawing by Jewish German-speaking novelist and story writer Franz Kafka, which has been digitised and published online by the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Kafka's papers were left to the library by his close friend Max Brod, who he had asked to destroy his manuscripts after his death. AFP

An original manuscript written in Hebrew (right) and German (left) by Franz Kafka, on display at the National Library of Israel, in Jerusalem. The Franz Kafka Papers are now online for the first time, following years of conservation and restoration work, cataloguing and digitisation. AFP

A manuscript written in Hebrew by Franz Kafka at the National Library of Israel. The papers in the collection were never intended for publication by the author, few of whose works were published in his lifetime. AFP

Another manuscript from the collection now available online, 97 years after Kafka's death. AFP

Another manuscript from the collection now available online, 97 years after Kafka's death. AFP

One of the surprises in the collection is a notebook filled with sketches and doodles, which was kept in a Swiss bank vault for years. AFP

An original manuscript written in German by Franz Kafka. The Jewish German writer's papers, bequeathed to the National Library of Israel, have been put online 97 years after his death. AFP

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