Writer, born in Breslau (now Wroclaw, SW Poland). He studied sociology, philosophy, and literature in Munich before moving to East Berlin (1955), where he worked for the Brecht Ensemble and became a freelance writer in 1963. His comedies, mainly written in verse, reveal Brecht's influence, and include Der Eröffnung des indischen Zeitalters (1955) and Das Volksbuch von Herzog Ernst (1955). He uses historical and mythical backgrounds to emphasize socially critical aspects and employs a form of classical realism. Among other works are children's books, including Das Windloch, and the poems Die Katze wäscht den Omnibus (1973).
Displaced by World War II, Hacks settled in Munich in 1947, where he made acquaintance with Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht.
Life
Although Hacks faced initial displeasure from the literary watchdogs of the GDR, his success on the world stage--most notably with "Ein Gespräch im Hause Stein über den abwesenden Herrn von Goethe" (A Discussion in the Stein Home about the Absent Mr. Goethe)--led to his literary acceptance within the party leadership.
Hacks' support of the East German government's 1976 expatriation of the satiric folk singer Wolf Biermann, however, led to widening unpopularity, first within the Federal Republic of Germany, and later inside the GDR.
Hacks viewed the 1990 dissolution of the East German state as a counterrevolution;
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