 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2010) |
Uwe Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Between 1952 and 1954 | |
| Born | 20 July 1934 Cammin, Province of Pomerania, Free State of Prussia, German Reich |
| Died | 22 February 1984 (aged 49) Sheerness, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Novelist, short story writer, translator |
| Language | German |
| Period | 1953–1984 |
| Literary movement | Group 47 |
| Notable works | Speculations About Jakob (1959) Anniversaries (1970–1983) |
| Notable awards | Georg Büchner Prize 1971 Wilhelm Raabe Prize 1975 |
| Spouse | Elisabeth Schmidt |
Uwe Johnson (German pronunciation: [ˈuːvə ˈjoːnzɔn] ; 20 July 1934 – 22 February 1984) was a German writer, editor, and scholar. Such prominent writers and scholars as Günter Grass and Hans Mayer declared Johnson to be the most significant writer to emerge from East Germany.[1] During the 1950s, he had troubles with the East German authorities, being treated as a "dissident"[2] both for political reasons and for Modernist experiments in his works which made him opposed to the dominant doctrine of Socialist realism; after moving to West Berlin in 1959, he gained the label of "the author of the two Germanies", as, while criticizing East Germany as the state which betrayed the Socialist ideals, he didn't regard West Germany as a viable alternative and opposed the division of Germany in general. His works were dedicated both to East and West German societies and examined the relations between them.[1]
- ^ a b Encyclopedia of German Literature. Routledge. 11 May 2015. ISBN 978-1-135-94122-2.
- ^ German Writers and the Cold War 1945-61. Manchester University Press. 15 April 1992. ISBN 978-0-7190-2662-1.