Christa Wolf

Christa Ihlenfeld

Novelist, Critic, Dissident Intellectual, Georg Büchner Prize Winner

Born Mar 18, 1929

Landsberg an der Warthe, Germany

Passed Away Dec 01, 2011 Berlin, Germany

Lifespan 82 years old

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Notice / Correction

"To speak when speaking is dangerous; to keep silent when speaking is required: both are betrayals."

Archival Overview

The preeminent author of East Germany whose complex psychological novels Cassandra, They Divided the Sky, and Patterns of Childhood critically examined socialist ideals, memory, and totalitarian power.

Biographical Record

Christa Ihlenfeld studied German literature in Jena and Leipzig under Hans Mayer. Joining the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED), she rose to literary acclaim in 1963 with 'They Divided the Sky' (Der geteilte Himmel), depicting the tragic human cost of the Berlin Wall.

Wolf became an outspoken critic of East German censorship, leading protests against the 1976 expatriation of dissident singer Wolf Biermann. In mythological novels like 'Cassandra' (1983) and 'Medea' (1996), she illuminated patriarchal violence and state deception, winning the prestigious Georg Büchner Prize.

Key Life Milestones

1963

Der geteilte Himmel

Published the defining East German novel examining the personal emotional trauma caused by the division of Berlin.

1980

Georg Büchner Prize

Awarded West Germany's highest literary prize for her courageous and probing prose fiction.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Dorotheenstadt Cemetery
Berlin, Germany

                         GPS: 52.5286, 13.3833                    

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