Ulrich Plenzdorf (; 26 October 1934 – 9 August 2007) was a German author and dramatist. Life Born in Berlin, Plenzdorf studied Philosophy in Leipzig, but graduated with a degree in film. He found work at DEFA. He became famous in both East and West Germany for his socially critical work titled "Die neuen Leiden des jungen W." Written in the jargon of the GDR-youth of the 1970s, it details the tragic story of a young man and his attempt to break free from his stifling middle class environment, drawing parallels between his own life and that of the protagonist in Goethe's work The Sorrows of Young Werther (Die Leiden des jungen Werther) (1774). From 2004 to 2007, Plenzdorf was a guest lecturer at the Deutsches Literaturinstitut in Leipzig. He died near Berlin of undisclosed causes, aged 72. Awards and honors 1973 Heinrich-Mann-Preis 1978 Ingeborg-Bachmann-Preis Works Die neuen Leiden des jungen W. Der alte Mann, das Pferd, die Straße (1974) Buridans Esel (1976) (Drama based on the novel by Günter de Bruyn) Auszug (1977) kein runter kein fern (1978) Legende vom Glück ohne Ende (1979) (extended novel based on the film Die Legende von Paul und Paula) Gutenachtgeschichte (1980) Ein Tag länger als ein Leben (1986) Freiheitsberaubung (1987) Eins und Eins ist Uneins Screenwriter Follow Me, Scoundrels (dir. Ralf Kirsten, 1964) — based on a novel by (dir. Herrmann Zschoche, 1965, released: 1990) Weite Straßen – stille Liebe (dir. Herrmann Zschoche, 1969) — based on a novel by (dir. , 1971) — based on stories by Gisela Karau The Legend of Paul and Paula (dir. Heiner Carow, 1973) (dir. Herrmann Zschoche, 1974) Die neuen Leiden des jungen W. (dir. , 1976, TV film, West Germany) (dir. Herrmann Zschoche, 1980) — based on the novel Buridans Esel by Günter de Bruyn Es geht seinen Gang oder Mühen in unserer Ebene (dir. , 1981, TV film, West Germany) — based on a novel by Erich Loest (dir. Frank Beyer, 1981, TV film, West Germany) — based on a novel by (dir. Herrmann Zschoche, 1983) — based on a novel by Benno Pludra (dir. Frank Beyer, 1984) — based on a novel by Christoph Meckel (dir. Peter Beauvais, 1986, TV film, West Germany) — based on a novella by Martin Walser (dir. Rainer Simon, 1991) — based on a story by Franz Fühmann (dir. Christian Steinke, 1991, TV film) (dir. Frank Beyer, 1991)