Siegfried Lenz, who passed away on October 7, 2014, had meticulously planned for his literary legacy even before his death. Earlier in spring, he announced that his estate would be transferred to the German Literature Archive in Marbach, and in summer, he founded a trust aimed at scholarly examination of his works. Following his death, a personal archive was delivered to Marbach, where researchers discovered the manuscript and typescripts of an unpublished novel, tentatively titled 'Der Überläufer', which was intended to be his second published work after 'Es waren Habichte in der Luft' from 1951.

Lenz is often misinterpreted as merely a chronicler of German history throughout his lifetime, but his artistic contributions extended far beyond this narrow interpretation. He crafted an autonomous literary universe that reflects a profound engagement with themes of identity and displacement. The discovery of his unpublished manuscript not only highlights the depth of Lenz's artistic vision but also challenges the oversimplification of his legacy as purely historical representation.

As Lenz would have turned 100 today, it provides an opportune moment to reflect on his impact on German literature. The unveiling of 'Der Überläufer' offers a glimpse into the evolving narrative styles and thematic explorations that defined his work, emphasizing the continual relevance of his insights in today’s literary and cultural discourse.