Nobleman, circus clown, soldier, and artist, Rudolph Charles Von Ripper (1905-1960) was one of the most remarkable creative spirits every to pass through Yaddo. He arrived in 1939 after being released from a concentration camp, but stayed only briefly. It seems he used his time at Yaddo like he used any brief pause in his life, as a moment to catch his breath before launching his next literal or figurative attack. He immediately enlisted in the United States Army, and fought bravely on the European front. He was shot in battle over twenty times, but soldiered on. While his personal heroics were the stuff of legend, his art may have been an even greater force in the war. When Time Magazine named Hitler Man of 1938, they chose Von Ripper's grim etching "Hymn of Hate" to grace the cover. With its gruesome Goya-esque imagery and bitter critique of the complacency of Europe's leaders, it was arguably a crucial first step in turning American opinion towards the war.