International Stefan Heym Prize 2013 goes to Christoph Hein

"Christoph Hein is an author of outstanding calibre," said Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. "His literary work is characterised by astute observation and social commitment. He connects the everyday lives of his characters with world history and the big questions, and he does this in a wonderful, precise and at the same time often poetic language. Christoph Hein was never comfortable, but a critical spirit in the best sense of the word. This makes him a prizewinner who embodies the values of the prize in a special way, especially on the 100th anniversary of Stefan Heym's birth."

About the laureate

Christoph Hein, born on 8 April 1944, is one of the most distinguished authors of our time. His literary work includes novels, essays, short stories, theatre plays, poetry and children's books. He became internationally recognised in 1982 with the novella "Der fremde Freund" (published in Germany in 1983 under the title "Drachenblut"). His most famous novels include "Der Tangospieler" (1988) and "Willenbrock" (2000), which was made into a film by Andreas Dresen. His most recent work is "Weiskerns Nachlass" (2011). In 1998, Christoph Hein was elected the first president of the reunited P.E.N. Centre. He also served as co-editor of "Freitag" until 2006.

Christoph Hein was born in the Silesian village of Heizendorf and grew up in Bad Düben. In 1960, he moved to West Berlin in order to be able to graduate from high school as a pastor's son. Before studying logic and philosophy in Leipzig and Berlin (1967 to 1970), Hein earned his living as an assembly worker, bookseller and assistant director to Benno Besson at the Deutsches Theater and the Volksbühne. After completing his studies, he returned to the Volksbühne as a dramaturge, where he worked alongside Heiner Müller as in-house director from 1973. Christoph Hein has been a freelance writer since 1979. As a member of the P.E.N. Centre of the GDR, he also intervened critically in debates, protesting, for example, at the X. Writers' Congress in 1987 against censorship and two years later against the arrest of Václav Havel. On 4 November 1989, Christoph Hein was one of the speakers at the demonstration of creative artists on Berlin's Alexanderplatz.

Christoph Hein has received numerous awards, most recently the Uwe Johnson Prize (2012), the Eichendorff Literature Prize (2010) and the Walter Hasenclever Literature Prize (2008). He has also been awarded the Federal Cross of Merit (1994).

International Stefan Heym Prize

The International Stefan Heym Prize of the City of Chemnitz is awarded in memory of the son and honorary citizen of the city to contemporary and courageous personalities who, like Stefan Heym, have made outstanding and lasting achievements as writers or publicists. The prize is endowed with 40,000 euros and is awarded every three years. On the occasion of Stefan Heym's 100th birthday in 2013, there will be a deviation from the usual rhythm. A board of trustees, whose patron is Inge Heym, decides on the awarding of the prize. In addition to the Lord Mayor and the Mayor of Culture, the members include the President of the P.E.N. Centre Germany, the President of the Goethe-Institut, the Director of the Bertelsmann publishing house, the Chairman of the International Society for Human Rights and two members of the City Council's Culture Committee.

International Stefan Heym Conference

Together with the City of Chemnitz, the International Stefan Heym Society is offering a supporting programme around the award ceremony in April 2013 to make Stefan Heym's life and work accessible to a wide audience. This programme also includes the second International Stefan Heym Conference organised by the Society together with the Technical University. It will take place in Chemnitz on 11 and 12 April under the motto "The Witness of the Century - Historiography and Historical Concepts".