Rolf Hochhuth

Rolf Hochhuth (1931–2020) was a German playwright, writer, and essayist. He initially worked in the book trade and as a publishing editor before gaining recognition with his first play, “The Representative” (“Der Stellvertreter”). Premiered in 1963, the play sparked international debate through its examination of the Catholic Church’s role during the Second World War. Hochhuth played a major role in shaping documentary theatre and repeatedly addressed politically and socially controversial subjects in his plays, poems, stories, and essays. His notable works include “Soldiers,” “A Love in Germany,” “Jurists,” and “Alan Turing.” Among other honors, he received the Geschwister Scholl Prize, the Lessing Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and the Jacob Grimm Prize for the German Language.