Arthur Schnitzler (1862 - 1931) was an Austrian playwright, author and doctor. Schnitzler's writings were criticized for their anti-Semitism and their explicit descriptions of sexuality. Schnitzler kept a diary for many years and for a period of time he recorded every organism and with whom in great detail. The Dead Are Silent was published in 1907.At the beginning of the story it reads as follows. "Strange, isn't it?" thought Franz. "Here we are scarcely a hundred paces from the Prater, and yet it might be a street in some little country town. Well, it's safe enough, at any rate. She won't meet any of the friends she dreads so much here."