Wolfgang Koeppen

Koeppen, Wolfgang 

Born June 23, 1906, in Greifswald. German writer (Federal Republic of Germany).

In the novels Unhappy Love (1934) and The Wall Shakes (1935), Koeppen showed how a common man’s hopes are shattered in capitalist society. In the novels The Greenhouse (1953; Russian translation, 1966) and Death in Rome (1954; Russian translation, 1965) he sharply criticizes the rebirth of militarism in the FRG. Koeppen is one of the representatives of critical realism in contemporary German literature; his novels, which are written in the stream-of-consciousness style, are distinguished by the keenness of their psychological analysis. The ideas of peace and progress are affirmed in his book of essays To Russia and Other Lands (1958) and other works. Koeppen was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize in 1962.

WORKS

In Russian translation:
”Oni prodali dushu d’iavolu.” Za rubezhom, 1960, no. 2.

REFERENCES

Samarin, R. “Protiv tekh, kto sect smert’.” Inostrannaia literatura, 1960, no. 8.
Chernaia, L. “Neprimirimost’.” Novyi mir, 1968, no. 3.
Döhl, R. “W. Koeppen.” In Deutsche Literatur seit 1945. Stuttgart, 1968. Pages 103–29.