The first major biography of Wolfgang Hilbig. To this day, the poet Wolfgang Hilbig, born in 1941 and who died ten years ago, is surrounded by an aura of mystery. Born into an environment of silence, he was regarded as one of the most powerful linguistic authors in German literature, especially since his novel "Ich," yet he remained its most enigmatic outsider. Hilbig, who worked for years as a stoker, was forced to lead a double life in the GDR. For this first major biography, literary scholar Michael Opitz has examined unknown archival materials and unpublished letters and diaries, as well as evaluated the files that the State Security of the GDR compiled on the "hostile-negative" author. With care and sensitivity, he traces the path of a fascinating writer who found his true life only through writing.