Editing Jurek Becker (section)

==Career==
After completing his national service in the East German army in the 1950s, during which time he became firm friends with the actor [[Manfred Krug]], Becker studied philosophy in [[East Berlin]] but was expelled for expressing non-conformist views. In the 1960s he wrote film scripts, one of which, ''Jakob der Lügner'' (''[[Jacob the Liar]]''), he turned into a novel when the film production was halted. It was [[Jacob the Liar (1975 film)|made into a film]] by the East German film company [[DEFA]] in 1974, and in 1975 became the only East German film ever to be nominated for an [[Academy Award]] (in the foreign-language film category), though it did not win. A [[Jakob the Liar|1998 remake]], starring [[Robin Williams]] in the title role, had limited success.

By the mid-1970s differences of opinion with the [[East Germany|GDR]] authorities were becoming apparent, and Becker was one of the original twelve signatories of the petition against the expulsion of writer and singer [[Wolf Biermann]] in November 1976. In 1977 he moved from East to [[West Berlin]], though somewhat unusually he retained his East German citizenship. He continued to publish novels and short stories, some on Jewish themes, others not.