I dont know how ell he is known abroad and if people here will have actualy ever heard of him. Günter Grass is one of the best German writers alive and will certainly remain remembered in as one of the best writers the German language has ever had. His fame mostly results out of his novel "Die Blechtrommel" (The Tin Drum) a novel categorised in the German period of literature known as "Trümmerliteratur" (Literature of ruins), a part of literatur which is writen on a critical note about German involvement in world war 2 and pointing out the dangers of forgetting and fascism. He received the nobel price for literature and is regarded as a great intellectual here. Besides writing he was also involved with the political left of the country as a supporter and was engaged with several "fights" against the tabloid press (which he won).
Yet in recent years, his image came to be damaged and he has more and more oftern started to stumble over himself.
His fall started in 2006 when during an interview about his newly published autobiography he revealed that he was a memeber of the "Waffen SS" during the endphase of the war. It greatly damaged his image as the nations moral conciousness, which had often criticised the society over it`s role in world war 2 and the way it treated it`s past. Other than that, it almoust seemed to be a rotten pr gag, considering that he reveiled this part of his past when his new book was being published.
In 2012 he published a poem in a german paper which criticised Israeli politics in such vicious terms that went beyond what could have been considered to be valid criticism. His image was further damaged through that and the accusation of antisemetism was brought up against him.
And recently, he criticised Merkel over her past in the GDR (east german regime) despite the fact that Merkel was not involved with the regime on a level which would require her to take public responsibility for her actions (merely worked in a socialist youth organisation). This criticism fell back onto Grass because he himself had 6 years before revealed the darkest chapter of his path, yet had the audacity to criticise others over theirs, despite them not having had much to criticise.
I dont know what exactly to think of his behavior in the past years, it could be that he is getting old.
Yet in recent years, his image came to be damaged and he has more and more oftern started to stumble over himself.
His fall started in 2006 when during an interview about his newly published autobiography he revealed that he was a memeber of the "Waffen SS" during the endphase of the war. It greatly damaged his image as the nations moral conciousness, which had often criticised the society over it`s role in world war 2 and the way it treated it`s past. Other than that, it almoust seemed to be a rotten pr gag, considering that he reveiled this part of his past when his new book was being published.
In 2012 he published a poem in a german paper which criticised Israeli politics in such vicious terms that went beyond what could have been considered to be valid criticism. His image was further damaged through that and the accusation of antisemetism was brought up against him.
And recently, he criticised Merkel over her past in the GDR (east german regime) despite the fact that Merkel was not involved with the regime on a level which would require her to take public responsibility for her actions (merely worked in a socialist youth organisation). This criticism fell back onto Grass because he himself had 6 years before revealed the darkest chapter of his path, yet had the audacity to criticise others over theirs, despite them not having had much to criticise.
I dont know what exactly to think of his behavior in the past years, it could be that he is getting old.
