Gunter Grass
Gunter Grass (1927), German novelist and writer. Grass was brought up in Danzig (now Gdansk in Poland) and became a keen member of the Hitler Youth after Germany’s annexation of that city. His later disillusion with Nazism helped to form the liberal and sceptical outlook seen in his work. In the 1950’s he trained as a graphic artist and began to publish poetry with the backing of Gruppe 47, an important literary group. He found fame with his first novel,. The Tin Drum (1958), a satirical fantasy based on modern German history. During the 1960’s he became a prominent social commentator and campaigned for the Social Democrats. Later novels include The Flounder (1977), The Rat (1986), and Toad Croaks (1992). In the 1990’s he provoked much criticism with his outspoken opposition to German unification.
