Stefan Heym (1913–2001) was born in Chemnitz, Germany, and emigrated to America during the Nazi era in the early 1930s. He served in the US forces in Europe with distinction, and subsequently wrote a bestselling novel on American soldiers in Europe, The Crusaders.
During the Korean War, Heym became disenchanted with the American way of life and McCarthyism, and returned to Germany, settling in East Berlin. He soon established himself as a prominent author in his own country, though he continued to write in English. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Heym became the oldest member elected to the German parliament. His novels The King David Report (1997), The Wandering Jew (1999), and The Architects (2006) are all available in English from Northwestern University Press. Today, his articles and books are translated into many languages and continue to garner international acclaim.