Sarah Kirsch facts for kids
Sarah Kirsch (born Ingrid Bernstein on 16 April 1935 – died 5 May 2013) was a famous German poet. She wrote many poems that people loved to read.
Contents
Her Life and Work
Sarah Kirsch was born in a place called Limlingerode in Germany. Her first name was Ingrid Bernstein. She later changed her name to Sarah. She did this to show she was against unfair treatment of Jewish people, like her father's views.
Early Studies and Writing
Sarah studied biology at the University of Halle-Wittenberg. She also studied literature at the Johannes R. Becher Institute in Leipzig. In 1965, she wrote a book of poems with Rainer Kirsch. They were married for ten years.
Standing Up for What's Right
In 1976, Sarah Kirsch protested against a decision made in East Germany. A fellow writer, Wolf Biermann, was forced to leave the country. Because she protested, she was removed from the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). This was the main political party in East Germany at the time. One year later, she left East Germany herself. She also had her own thoughts about the West.
Her Creative Contributions
Sarah Kirsch is best known for her beautiful poetry. But she also wrote prose, which is like stories or essays. She even translated children's books into German. This means she changed books from other languages into German for kids to read.
Many people thought Sarah Kirsch was one of the most important German poets after World War II. She was seen as a leading female writer of her generation.
Awards and Recognition
Sarah Kirsch won many important awards for her writing. These included:
- The German international literary Petrarca-Preis in 1976
- The Peter-Huchel Prize in 1993
- The Georg Büchner Prize in 1996
Sarah Kirsch passed away in May 2013 after a short illness.
Resources
- Sarah Kirsch by Mererid Hopwood (1997)
