Guest of the ilb 2004, 2007
Wolf Biermann was born in Hamburg in 1936. His father, imprisoned for his communist convictions, was killed in Auschwitz in 1943 as a Jew. In 1953 Biermann moved to the GDR and studied at the Humboldt University. From 1957 to 1959 he worked as assistant director at Brecht's theatre, the "Berliner Ensemble". He was heavily influenced by his mentor, the composer Hanns Eisler, and began writing his first songs and poems in 1960.
In November 1965 a complete ban on his performances and publications was imposed in the GDR. Wolf Biermann became the most radical critic of the Party dictatorship in the GDR. He continued to publish in West Germany, however.
In 1976, against all legal norms, Wolf Biermann was forbidden reentry into the GDR after giving a concert in West Germany. The expatriation of the dissident singer triggered widespread, unprecedented protests in the East and West and, for many, marked the beginning of the end of the SED regime.
Wolf Biermann returned to his native Hamburg. Since then he has toured regularly and much of his writing has enjoyed publications in many countries around the world.
In November 1989, against the wishes of the authorities, East German civil rights activists insisted on Biermann giving a concert in Leipzig. In 1990 he was among the occupiers of the East Berlin headquarters of the secret police on Normannenstraße and helped prevent further destruction of Stasi files.
Ever since the collapse of the GDR Biermann has published, parallel to his continuing activity as a poet, a series of political-literary essays with which he effectively intervenes in current political debates.
He regularly tours in Germany and abroad. In early 2006 Wolf Biermann switched to the Hamburg publishing house Hoffmann und Campe who published in autumn 2006 a new volume of his poems, "Heimat. Neue Gedichte" (t: Native country. New poems) as well as an audio book, under the same title.
Wolf Biermann has been awarded literature prizes attached to names like Theodor Fontane, Jacques Offenbach, Friedrich Hölderlin, Eduard Mörike, Georg Büchner, Heinrich Heine and Joachim Ringelnatz. In March 2007 Wolf Biermann was named honorary citizen of the city of Berlin.
© international literature festival berlin
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Wire Harp
Harcourt; Brace & World
New York, 1968
[T: Eric Bentley]
Der Dra-Dra
Klaus Wagenbach
Berlin, 1970
Deutschland: ein Wintermärchen
Klaus Wagenbach
Berlin, 1972
Encouragement
Half Moon
London, 1973
[T: Steve Gooch]
Für meine Genossen
Klaus Wagenbach
Berlin, 1976
Poems and Ballads
Pluto Press
London, 1977
[T: Steve Gooch]
Preußischer Ikarus
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1978
Affenfels und Barrikade
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1986
Klartexte im Getümmel
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1990
Alle Lieder
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1991
Alle Gedichte
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1995
Jitzchak Ketzenelson
dtv
München, 1996
Paradies uff Erden
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 1999
Mit Marx- und Engelszungen
dtv
München, 2000
Über Deutschland. Unter Deutschen
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 2002
Das ist die feinste Liebeskunst
Kiepenheuer & Witsch
Köln, 2004
Heimat. [CD]
Hoffmann & Campe
Hamburg, 2006
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