Günter Grass was a German novelist, poet, and playwright, born on March 16, 1927, in Danzig, which is now Gdańsk, Poland. He is best known for his novel, The Tin Drum, published in 1959, which is a key work of the Danzig Trilogy. Grass's writing often explores themes of guilt, memory, and the complexities of German identity, particularly in the context of World War II. In addition to his literary achievements, Grass was also a political activist and a visual artist. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999 for his body of work, which has had a significant impact on post-war German literature. Grass passed away on April 13, 2015, leaving behind a legacy of thought-provoking literature.