Bruno Apitz

Bruno Apitz (1900–1979) was born as the twelfth child of a working-class family in Leipzig. He trained as an engraver, worked for a time as an actor, and began an apprenticeship in bookselling. Because of his political activities and anti-war propaganda, he was imprisoned several times, including in Buchenwald concentration camp from 1937 until its liberation in 1945. After the war, he worked as an editor, administrative director of the Leipzig Municipal Theatres, and dramaturg at DEFA before becoming a freelance author. His first novel, *Naked Among Wolves*, was published in 1958, adapted for film by Frank Beyer in 1963, and achieved international recognition.