 Between 1927 and 1930 he was General Secretary of the ("Schutzverband deutscher Schriftsteller").His youthful novel "Dritter Hof links" (published in English as "A Room in Berlin") appeared in 1929, and was well received, also appearing in translation.The political backdrop changed savagely in January 1933 when the Nazi Party took power and converted Germany into a one-party dictatorship.