Peter Hacks

Peter Hacks (1928–2003) was a German playwright, poet, essayist, narrator, and children’s author. He studied sociology, philosophy, and literary and theater studies in Munich. In 1955 he moved to East Germany and worked, among other places, at the Berliner Ensemble and the Deutsches Theater, where he served as chief dramaturg. From 1963 onward, he worked as a freelance writer. His literary work received numerous awards, including the National Prize of the GDR, the Heinrich Mann Prize, and the German Youth Literature Prize.