Wolfgang Schreyer


Wolfgang Schreyer was a German writer of fiction, historic adventures mixed with documentary, science fiction for TV shows and movies and is best known as the author of over 20 adventure stories.

Life

Wolfgang Schreyer was born the son of a pharmacist. On leaving secondary school he was conscripted as a Flakhelfer before, in April 1944, he joined the Nazi Party and served in the Wehrmacht. He became a POW and was released by the Americans in 1946. From 1947 until 1949 he was a chemists' apprentice, working in that profession until 1950. From 1950 to 1952, he was the manager of a pharmaceutical company in the German Democratic Republic.
Since the publication of his first crime novel, Großgarage Südwest, he worked as a freelance author. He travelled several times to the Caribbean and to the United States. Since 1958, the GDR's Staatssicherheitsdienst (Stasi) kept him under special surveillance. Until 1972 Schreyer lived in Magdeburg; since then he lived in Ahrenshoop on the coast of the Baltic Sea.
Schreyer was the author of numerous novels, which are mainly considered entertainment, containing some criticism of society. Most successful were the stories set in Central America and the Caribbean, in which he skillfully mixed fiction and documentary. Other works are crime stories, a science-fiction story, film scripts, TV and radio drama. Having sold more than five million copies, Schreyer is considered one of the most successful East German authors.
In 1956, Schreyer was awarded the Heinrich-Mann-Preis. Since 1952,he was a member of the East German authors guild, since 1974 a member of P.E.N.; and since German reunification in 1990 he was a member of the German authors guild.
Schreyer died on 14 November 2017 at the age of 89.

Work

Großgarage Südwest, Berlin 1952Mit Kräuterschnaps und Gottvertrauen, Berlin 1953Unternehmen "Thunderstorm", Berlin 1954Die Banknote, Berlin 1955Schüsse über der Ostsee, Berlin 1956Der Traum des Hauptmann Loy, Berlin 1956Das Attentat, Berlin 1957Der Spion von Akrotiri, Berlin 1957Alaskafüchse, Berlin 1959Das grüne Ungeheuer, Berlin 1959Entscheidung an der Weichsel, Berlin 1960Tempel des Satans, Berlin 1960Die Piratenchronik, Berlin 1961 Vampire, Tyrannen, Rebellen, Berlin 1963 Preludio 11, Berlin 1964Fremder im Paradies, Halle 1966 Aufstand des Sisyphos, Berlin 1969 Der gelbe Hai, Berlin 1969Bananengangster, Berlin 1970Der Adjutant, Halle 1971Der Resident, Halle 1973Tod des Chefs oder Die Liebe zur Opposition, Berlin 1975Schwarzer Dezember, Halle 1977Die Entführung, Halle 1979Der Reporter, Halle 1980Die Suche oder Die Abenteuer des Uwe Reuss, Berlin 1981Eiskalt im Paradies, Halle 1982Die fünf Leben des Dr. Gundlach, Berlin 1982Der Fund oder Die Abenteuer des Uwe Reuss, Berlin 1987Der Mann auf den Klippen, Berlin 1987Der sechste Sinn, Halle 1987Unabwendbar, Berlin 1988Die Beute, Rostock 1989Endzeit der Sieger, Halle 1989Alpträume, Oschersleben 1991Nebel, Berlin 1991Das Quartett, Berlin 1994Der zweite Mann, Berlin 2000Der Verlust oder Die Abenteuer des Uwe Reuss, Rostock 2001Das Kurhaus, Rostock 2002Die Legende, Berlin 2006