The Workers’ Accident and Insurance Institute

From 1908 until his early retirement in 1922 Kafka worked conscientiously at the semi-nationalized Workers’ Accident and Insurance Institute in Prague. From Monday to Saturday, from 8.00 a.m. till 2.00 p.m. every day, Kafka classified the businesses in his district according to risk, corresponded with firms, looked through files, and tried to suggest improvements. He travelled into the industrial areas to inspect the conditions in glass factories, sawmills, and quarries or to pacify the industrialists who were rebelling against the stipulated contributions, which they felt to be too high. Kafka was highly regarded by his colleagues because of his friendly manner and competence as an insurance expert and was promoted several times by his superiors, finally becoming the deputy department manager. 

The true path crosses a rope which is stretched across the ground rather than on high. It seems more designed to trip one up than to be used.

Franz Kafka, Aphorisms

In the four districts I am responsible for – and this is quite apart from my regular work – people are falling like drunks off scaffolding and into machinery, all the props are falling over, all the embankments are becoming unstable, all the ladders are slipping, whatever people put up high falls down, whatever people put on the floor they fall over themselves. And the young girls who are constantly falling down the stairs of porcelain factories with mountains of crockery are enough to give you a headache.

Franz Kafka to Max Brod