Thelem Utz Rachowski

Utz Rachowski (born 1954 in Plauen/Vogtland) is one of the few authors who has found a significant literary response to his experiences in three German states: the persecution and imprisonment in the GDR, exile in the old Federal Republic, and the continued sense of alienation in the new one. With this edition, his work, which has developed over more than five decades, is now presented in a reliable form carefully coordinated with the author. The texts appear in chronological order, allowing for a traceable journey of Rachowski's path and development as a writer—from the early poems (five of which led to his imprisonment in the GDR for anti-state agitation) to the most recent, well-composed poetry collection "Es fielen die schönen Bilder," from the first stories and essays written in the GDR and later published in the Federal Republic to retrospective tributes to companions and friends—such as Jürgen Fuchs and Reiner Kunze. The poems in this volume were selected by the editor in collaboration with Utz Rachowski, accompanied by a commentary and an afterword by the editor.