Reiner Kunze facts for kids
Reiner Kunze was born on August 16, 1933, in Oelsnitz, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. He is a famous German writer and a brave person who spoke out against the government in East Germany (GDR). He studied media and journalism at the University of Leipzig.
In 1968, Reiner Kunze left the main political party in East Germany, called the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). He did this because countries from the Warsaw Pact (a group of communist countries) invaded Czechoslovakia. This invasion stopped a time of change and freedom in Czechoslovakia, known as the Prague Spring. Because of his views, Reiner Kunze often had to publish his writings using different names so people wouldn't know it was him.
In 1976, his most famous book, The Lovely Years, was published in West Germany. This book shared important thoughts about life and the rules behind the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain was a term for the border that separated communist Eastern Europe from Western Europe. His book was very popular. In 1977, the East German government forced him to leave the country. He then moved to West Germany (FRG). Today, he lives near Passau in Bavaria.
Reiner Kunze mostly writes poetry, which are poems. But he also writes prose, which includes essays. He is also a translator, meaning he changes books and poems from Czech into German.
Contents
Standing Up for Freedom
Reiner Kunze was a target of the Stasi. The Stasi was the secret police of East Germany. They used a special program called Zersetzung. This program was designed to quietly mess with people's lives. It aimed to make them feel confused or alone, without using violence.
His Important Works
Reiner Kunze wrote many books and poems. His most well-known book is The Lovely Years, published in 1976. This book gave people a real look at what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. It showed the challenges and rules people faced in East Germany.
Here are some of his other notable works:
- Die Zukunft sitzt am Tische (The Future Sits at the Table). 1955.
- Vögel über dem Tau (Birds Over the Dew). 1959.
- Der Löwe Leopold, fast Märchen, fast Geschichten (Leopold the Lion, Almost Fairy Tales, Almost Stories). 1970.
- Zimmerlautstärke (Room Volume). 1972.
- Briefe mit blauem Siegel (Letters with a Blue Seal). 1973.
- Das Märchen vom Dis (The Tale of Dis). 1976.
- Die Wunderbaren Jahre (The Wonderful Years). 1979 [movie script].
- Auf eigene Hoffnung (On One's Own Hope). 1981.
- Gespräch mit der Amsel (Conversation with the Blackbird). 1984.
- Die Stunde mit dir selbst (The Hour with Yourself). 2018.
English Editions of His Books
Some of Reiner Kunze's works have been translated into English. These include:
- The Lovely Years
- In Time of Need: A Conversation about Poetry, Resistance & Exile (with Mireille Gansel)
- Zimmerlautstarke With the Volume Down Low (Swamp Press, 1981)
Awards and Recognition
Reiner Kunze has received many important awards for his writing and his courage. Some of these include:
- 1971 German Youth Literature Prize
- 1973 Grand Literature Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts
- 1977 Georg Büchner Prize (a very important German literary award)
- 1979 Bavarian Film Awards for Best Screenplay
- 1981 Geschwister Scholl-Preis (an award for books that promote freedom)
- 1988 Bavarian Order of Merit
- 1993 Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1995 Honorary citizen of the city of Greiz
- 1999 Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis
- 2001 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
- 2003 Honorary citizen of his hometown, Oelsnitz, Erzgebirge
- 2009 Thüringer Literaturpreis
- 2013 America Award in Literature for his lifetime contribution to international writing
See also
In Spanish: Reiner Kunze para niños
