The touching self-portrait of a figure of the century. Nowhere does Erwin Strittmatter express himself as openly as in these late diaries. In his early fifties, at the best time of his life, the challenges of aging still lie ahead of him. Crises, emotional chaos, and conflicts run through the years just as much as probing self-examinations and censorship conflicts. The critical observer soberly follows the dissolution of the GDR. He is a poet who strives for the ideal of serenity, a master of poetic reflection. A treasure trove of everyday life in the GDR and the time of change. In no other part of his work does Erwin Strittmatter express himself as openly and intimately as in these late diaries. He speaks of exhausting marital crises, the emotional chaos brought on by his estrangement from his wife Eva, and his jealousy over his sons' relationship with their mother.