Home > Günter Grass

Günter Grass, Nobel Prize-winning author, was born in Free City of Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland) on October 16, 1927. His parents had a grocery store in Danzig Langfuhr.

The Kashubian- German Grass attended the Danzig Gymnasium Conradinum. Drafted into the Arbeitsdienst, he was wounded in 1945 and sent to an American prison-camp . In 1946 and 1947 he worked in a mine and received a stonemason's education. For many years he studied sculpture and graphics, first in Düsseldorf, then in Berlin. He also worked as an author and travelled frequently. He married in 1954 and since 1960 has lived in Berlin as well as part-time in Schleswig-Holstein. He took an active role in the Social-Democratic ( SPD) party and supported Willy BrandtWilly Brandt ( December 18, 1913 October 8, 1992) was Chancellor of Germany from 1969 to 1974. The social democrat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 for his work in improving relations with the German Democratic Republic, Poland and the Soviet Union,. Divorced in 1978Events January January 1 The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. January 1 Air India's Boeing 747 explodes near Bombay 213 dead. January 4 Referendum in Chile supports policies of Augusto Pinochet., he remarried in 1979Events January-February January 1 Sino-American relations: United States and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings..

Grass became active in the peace movementSocial Justice Pacifism The global peace movement refers to a sense of common purpose among organizations that seek to end wars and minimize inter-human violence, usually through pacifism, non-violent resistance, diplomacy, boycott and moral purchasing. and visited CalcuttaThis article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. For the gambling term, see Calcutta Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Its original name was Kalikata and is, in higher literature, still referred to as such. Speakers of the region's for six months.

From 1983Events January January 1 Beat Raaflaub became Basel Boys Choir's new conductor January 1 the ARPANET officially changes to use the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet. January 1 compulsory wearing of seat belts becomes law in the UK. January 2 The mu to 19861986 is a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January January 1 Spain and Portugal enter the European Community January 1 Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles. January 9 After losing a pa he held the presidency of the Berlin Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts).

During the revolution of 1989-90, Grass argued for continued separation of the two Germanies, asserting that a unified Germany would necessarily resume its role as belligerent nation-state. He abandoned his mission of gradual socialist reform through the existing West German political institutions. Grass instead adopted a philosophy of direct action, similar to that advocated by the younger generation of 1968.

English-speaking readers probably know Grass best as the author of The Tin DrumThe Tin Drum Die Blechtrommel is a 1959 novel by Gunter Grass. The novel is part of the Danziger Triologie (Danzig Trilogy). The novel was adapted for the screenplay of a 1979 film of the same name, directed by Volker Schlondorff. The film won the Golden (Die Blechtrommel) (film version by director Volker Schlöndorff). He received dozens of international awards and in 1999 achieved the highest literary honor: the Nobel Prize for Literature. His literature is commonly categorized as part of the artistic movement of Geschichtsaufarbeitung.

Representatives of the City of Bremen joined together to establish the Günter Grass Foundation, with the aim of establishing a centralized collection of his numerous works, especially his many personal readings, videos and films. The Günter Grass House in Lübeck houses exhibitions, an archive and a library.