Alfred Andersch

About

A German author, essayist, radio editor, and publisher, he was important in the post-World War II period for his musings on politics, morality, and free will. He is known for his 1960 novel, Die Rote, and for his 1974 work, Winterspelt.

Before Fame

He became a leader in The Communist Party's youth division in 1930. As a result, he suffered a six-month-long imprisonment in the infamous Dachau concentration camp.

Trivia

His work, The Father of a Murderer, was inspired by the fact that his childhood school teacher was Joseph Gebhard Himmler, the father of the infamous Nazi, Heinrich Himmler.

Family Life

He married a German Jewish woman in 1943; later, they divorced, and he wed artist Gisela Dichgans in 1950.

Associated With

While Andersch was experiencing the war, Anne Frank, a fellow German-born writer, was composing her now-famous diary.