Stefan Heym

Stefan Heym
Heym in 1982
Heym in 1982
BornHelmut Flieg
(1913-04-10)10 April 1913
Chemnitz, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Died16 December 2001(2001-12-16) (aged 88)
Ein Bokek, Tamar Regional Council, Southern District, Israel
Pen nameStefan Heym, Melchior Douglas, Gregor Holm
OccupationWriter
CitizenshipGerman, American
Alma materUniversity of Chicago
Period1938–2003
Notable awardsHeinrich Mann Prize
1953
National Prize of East Germany
1959 2nd Class
Jerusalem Prize
1993

Helmut Flieg was a German writer, known by his pseudonym Stefan Heym (pronounced [ˈʃtɛfan ˈhaɪm] ). He lived in the United States and trained at Camp Ritchie, making him one of the Ritchie Boys of World War II. In 1952, he returned to his home to the part of his native Germany which was, from 1949 to 1990, the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. He published works in English and German at home and abroad, and despite longstanding criticism of the GDR remained a committed socialist. He was awarded the 1953 Heinrich Mann Prize, the 1959 National Prize of East Germany (2nd class), and the 1993 Jerusalem Prize.