Celan, Paul (1920-1970)

Romanian-born Jewish poet. He survived a Nazi labour camp and settled in Paris, France, in 1948, where he worked as a translator. Considered outstanding by many, his work slowly gained recognition as a difficult but valid new statement in German poetry. In 1958 he was awarded the Bremen Prize, and in 1960, the George Buechner Prize. His Death Fugue and The Straightening are seen as classic expressions of the Jewish experience during the Nazi persecution. Celan was born in Bukovina, Romania.