In 1946, he became a member of the German PEN-Zentrum East and West, in 1965 a member of the Akademie der Künste. Between 1969 and 1989 he was vice-president of the writers union of East Germany.
In 1946, he participated in the German PEN-Zentrum East and West, and by 1965, he was a member of the Akademie der Künste. From 1969 to 1989, he played a key role as vice-president for the writers union of East Germany.