Although Ulrich Becher's works have not been included in the surveys and anthologies of post-World War II German literature taught in schools, his publishing career has spanned more than fifty years, a longevity attained by few others of his generation--a generation for whom mere survival was often considered a mark of distinction. Becher has survived the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, years of exile, loss of readership, and being out of step with literary fashion. With the renewal of interest in the literature of the Hitler era in general and exile literature in particular, Becher's works are enjoying a revival of interest as well.

Becher was born on 2 January 1910 in Berlin to Richard and Elisa Ulrich Becher. While his immediate family was solidly middle class, the earliest influence on Becher was his maternal grandfather, Martin Ulrich, whom Becher described as a freethinker, a socialist, and an ardent anti-militarist...