Wolf Biermann
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Karl Wolf Biermann (; born 15 November 1936) is a German singer-songwriter, poet, and former East German
dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 20th ...
. He is perhaps best known for the 1968 song "
Ermutigung "" ("Encouragement") is a poem and song by the German Liedermacher and lyricist Wolf Biermann. It was first published in 1968 in the poetry collection ''Mit Marx- und Engelszungen'' by , which also released the poem set to music as part of the s ...
" and his expatriation from
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
in 1976.


Early life

Biermann was born in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, Germany. His mother, Emma (née Dietrich), was a Communist Party activist, and his father,
Dagobert Biermann Dagobert Biermann (13 November 1904 — 22 February 1943) was a Communist Party of Germany, Communist and German resistance to Nazism, German resistance fighter against National Socialism. His son is German singer and former East Germany, East Germ ...
, worked on the Hamburg docks. Biermann's father, a Jewish member of the
German Resistance German resistance can refer to: * Freikorps, German nationalist paramilitary groups resisting German communist uprisings and the Weimar Republic government * German resistance to Nazism * Landsturm, German resistance groups fighting against France d ...
, was sentenced to six years in prison for sabotaging Nazi ships. In 1942, the Nazis decided to eliminate their Jewish political prisoners and Biermann's father was deported to
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
, where he was murdered on 22 February 1943. Biermann was one of the few children of workers who attended the Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium (high school) in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he became a member of the Free German Youth (Freie Deutsche Jugend, FDJ) and in 1950, he represented the
Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
at the FDJ's first national meeting.


East Germany

Upon finishing school at the age of 17, Biermann emigrated from
West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
to
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
where he believed he could live out his Communist ideals. He lived at a boarding school near
Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...
until 1955, and then began studying
political economics Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour mar ...
at the
Humboldt University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
. From 1957 to 1959, he was an assistant
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
at the
Berliner Ensemble The Berliner Ensemble () is a German theatre company established by actress Helene Weigel and her husband, playwright Bertolt Brecht, in January 1949 in East Berlin. In the time after Brecht's exile, the company first worked at Wolfgang Langho ...
. At university he changed courses to study philosophy and mathematics under Wolfgang Heise until 1963, when he completed his thesis. Despite his successful defense of his thesis, he did not receive his diploma until 2008 when he was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree. In 1960, Biermann met composer
Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was an Austrian composer (his father was Austrian, and Eisler fought in a Hungarian regiment in World War I). He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artisti ...
, who adopted the young artist as a protégé. Biermann began writing poetry and songs. Eisler used his influence with the East German cultural elite to promote the songwriter's career, but his death in 1962 deprived Biermann of his mentor and protector. In 1961, Biermann formed the ''Berliner Arbeiter-Theater'' ("Berlin Workers' Theater"), which was closed in 1963 before the production of Biermann's show ''Berliner Brautgang'', which documented the building of the
Berlin wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
. The play was officially banned and Biermann was forbidden to perform for six months. Although a committed communist, Biermann's nonconformist views soon alarmed the East German establishment. In 1963, he was refused membership in the ruling
Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (german: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, ; SED, ), often known in English as the East German Communist Party, was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East German ...
(SED), although no reason was given at the time for his rejection. After the Wende, documents available from Biermann's file at the
Stasi Records Agency , commonly known as the ) , dissolved = June 17, 2021 , superseding1 = , agency_type = Former Secret Police Archive , jurisdiction = , status = Dissolved, now part of the German Federal Archives ...
revealed that the reviewers were under the impression that he was a regular user of stimulants, leading to the rejection of his application. In 1964, Biermann performed for the first time in
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
. A performance in April 1965 in
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
on
Wolfgang Neuss Wolfgang Neuss (3 December 1923 – 5 May 1989) was a German actor and Kabarett artist. Beginning in the mid-1960s, he also became famous for his political engagement, first for the SPD, then for the extra-parliamentary opposition, ''APO''. ...
' cabaret program was recorded and released as an LP titled ''Wolf Biermann (Ost) zu Gast bei Wolfgang Neuss (West)''. Later that year, Biermann published a book of poetry, ''Die Drahtharfe'', through the West German publisher Klaus Wagenbach. In December 1965, the Central Committee of the
Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (german: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, ; SED, ), often known in English as the East German Communist Party, was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East German ...
denounced him as a "
class traitor Class traitor is a term used mostly in socialist discourse to refer to a member of the proletarian class who works directly or indirectly against their class interest, or against their economic benefit and in favor of the bourgeoisie. It applies pa ...
" and placed him onto the performance and publication blacklist. At this time, the Stasi developed a 20-point plan to "
degrade Degradation may refer to: Science * Degradation (geology), lowering of a fluvial surface by erosion * Degradation (telecommunications), of an electronic signal * Biodegradation of organic substances by living organisms * Environmental degradation ...
" or discredit his person. While blacklisted, Biermann continued to write and compose, culminating in his 1968 album ''
Chausseestraße 131 ''Chausseestraße 131'' is the second LP recorded by East German Liedermacher and poet Wolf Biermann, after ''Wolf Biermann (Ost) zu Gast bei Wolfgang Neuss (West)'', an album recorded together with Wolfgang Neuss. It was his first album released ...
'', recorded on equipment smuggled from the west in his apartment at Chausseestraße 131 in Mitte, the central borough of Berlin. To break this isolation, artists like
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
and many others visited him at his home during the
World Festival of Youth and Students The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and the International Union of Students after 1947. History The festival has been held regularly since 1947 as an eve ...
in 1973.
Karsten Voigt Karsten Dietrich Voigt (born 11 April 1941 in Elmshorn, Germany) is a German politician ( SPD). Early life and education From 1960–1969, Voigt studied history, German, and Scandinavian languages and literature at the universities in Hamburg, ...
, chairman of the West German Socialdemocratic Youth (''
Jusos Working Group of Young Socialists in the SPD (german: Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Jungsozialistinnen und Jungsozialisten in der SPD, Jusos) is a volunteer youth organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). As of 2021, there are over ...
'') protested against the suppression of the freedom of opinion and information by the state security.


Deprivation of citizenship

In 1976, while Biermann was on an officially sanctioned tour of West Germany, the GDR government stripped him of his citizenship. As later revealed, the SED Politbüro had made this decision in 1976 and hence way before the first concert in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, which was then used as a justification. Biermann's exile provoked protests by leading East German intellectuals, including actor
Armin Mueller-Stahl Armin Mueller-Stahl (born 17 December 1930) is a retired German film actor, painter and author, who also appeared in numerous English-language films since the 1980s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role i ...
and novelist
Christa Wolf Christa Wolf (; née Ihlenfeld; 18 March 1929 – 1 December 2011) was a German novelist and essayist.
Barbara Gard ...
. In 1977, he was joined in West Germany by his wife at the time, Christine Barg, as well as actress
Eva-Maria Hagen Eva-Maria Hagen (; ; 19 October 1934 – 16 August 2022) was a German actress and singer. She was known as the "Brigitte Bardot of the GDR" but was banned from performance for political reasons. Life Hagen was born Eva-Maria Buchholz in Köl ...
, her daughter Catharina (
Nina Hagen Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the punk and new wave movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is known as ...
), and Sibylle Havemann, the daughter of
Robert Havemann Robert Havemann (; 11 March 1910 – 9 April 1982) was an East German chemist and dissident. Life and career He studied chemistry in Berlin and Munich from 1929 to 1933, and then later received a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Kaise ...
and mother of two of Biermann's children. In West Germany, his manager was the musician Diether Dehm, who was secretly a Stasi informer reporting on Biermann's activities to the GDR authorities.


After moving to West Germany

Now living in the West, Biermann continued his musical career, criticizing East Germany's Stalinist policies. He was able to perform publicly again in East Germany on 1 and 2 December 1989 during the Wende that eventually toppled the Communist government. In 1998, he received the German national prize. He supported the 1999 NATO
Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
and the 2003
invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
. In the
Arab–Israeli conflict The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the ...
he supports Israel and is critical of the fact, as he sees it, that, under the influence of
antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
views, a majority of Germans lack both understanding and empathy for the Israeli side. He lives in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
and in France. He is the father of ten children, three of them with his second wife Pamela Biermann, née Rüsche.


Awards

* 1969: Fontane-Preis der Stadt Berlin * 1971: Jacques-Offenbach-Preis * 1973:
Deutscher Schallplattenpreis The Deutscher Schallplattenpreis was a prize that the awarded from 1963 through 1992. Its successor is the Echo Music Prize. References German music awards Awards established in 1963 Awards disestablished in 1992 {{award-stub ...
https://www.nemcina.org/download/biermann_1.pdf * 1975: Deutscher Schallplattenpreis * 1977: Deutscher Schallplattenpreis * 1979: Deutscher Kleinkunstpreis for Chanson * 1989: Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis der Stadt Bad Homburg * 1991: Mörike-Preis der Stadt Fellbach * 1991:
Georg Büchner Prize The Georg Büchner Prize (german: link=no, Georg-Büchner-Preis) is the most important literary prize for German language literature, along with the Goethe Prize. The award is named after dramatist and writer Georg Büchner, author of '' Woyzeck ...
* 1993: Heinrich-Heine-Preis der Stadt Düsseldorf * 1998: Deutscher Nationalpreis * 2001: Heinz-Galinski-Preis * 2006: Joachim-Ringelnatz-Preis für Lyrik * 2006: Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz * 2007: Honorary citizen of Berlin * 2008: Theodor-Lessing-Preis * 2008: Honorary doctorate
Humboldt University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
* 2017: Point-Alpha-Preis * 2018:
Ernst-Toller-Preis Ernst-Toller-Preis is a Bavarian literary prize, awarded every two years in the name of Ernst Toller. The prize money is €5,000. Recipients Source: *1997 *1999 Biljana Srbljanovic *2001 *2003 Juli Zeh *2007 Günter Grass *2009 Gerhard ...
* 2020: Honorary doctorate from the
University of Koblenz-Landau The University of Koblenz and Landau (German ''Universität Koblenz-Landau'') is a public university located in Koblenz and Landau, Germany, founded in 1990. History and profile The University of Koblenz and Landau is one of the youngest univers ...


Selected works

* ''Wolf Biermann zu Gast bei Wolfgang Neuss'' (LP, 1965) * ''
Chausseestraße 131 ''Chausseestraße 131'' is the second LP recorded by East German Liedermacher and poet Wolf Biermann, after ''Wolf Biermann (Ost) zu Gast bei Wolfgang Neuss (West)'', an album recorded together with Wolfgang Neuss. It was his first album released ...
'' (LP, 1969): recorded in his home in East Berlin, published in the West. Possessing home-recording charm, one can hear the noises from the streets. The German texts are very sarcastic, ironic, and to the point. This LP was recorded with a recorder smuggled in from West Germany and the title of the album was his address at the time, letting the political police know exactly who and where he was at the time. * ''aah-ja!'' (LP, 1974)


References


External links


Official websiteWolf Biermann
Bio, excerpts, interviews and articles in the archives of the
Prague Writers' Festival The Prague Writers' Festival (PWF) is an annual literary festival in Prague, Czech Republic, taking place every spring since 1991. In 2005 the festival was also held in Vienna. Many of the events are broadcast via the internet. International lite ...

Biography in German
*

on "The Life of the others", a film about the Stasi, the East German Secret Police. Biermann comments on its closeness to reality. {{DEFAULTSORT:Biermann, Wolf 1936 births Living people Writers from Hamburg German people of Jewish descent East German writers German male singers German singer-songwriters Hagen family Musicians from Hamburg Georg Büchner Prize winners Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany German-language poets East German dissidents Humboldt University of Berlin alumni