Borchert, Wolfgang

Wolfgang Borchert (1921-1947), a German author and playwright, served in the Wehrmacht during World War II. While there, a cut on his hand became infected and he contracted hepatitis, a condition that continued to worsen. In 1946, after the war ended, doctors gave him a year to live. With little time left, he wrote prose and poetry. He wrote The Man Outside in January 1947, shortly before passing away.