Hans Fallada was born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen on July 21, 1893, in Greifswald, Germany. His father, a magistrate, passed away when Fallada was six years old. In 1911, Fallada enlisted in the German Army, serving as a non-commissioned officer during World War I. After the war, Fallada returned to civilian life, where the economic hardships, political unrest, and social disintegration of the Weimar Republic would fuel his writing.

Under the pen name Hans Fallada, he published his first novel, Der junge Goedeschal (Young Goedeschal), in 1931. This marked the beginning of a prolific period that produced novels, short stories, and essays. Fallada’s writing resonated with readers as he captured the zeitgeist of the era, portraying the struggles of ordinary people amid economic depression and political uncertainty. Fallada’s novel Kleiner Mann—was nun? (Little Man, What Now?) earned Fallada critical acclaim and financial stability. However, this newfound success coincided with the dramatic rise of the Nazi Party, leading to an increasingly oppressive cultural environment in Germany. Fallada’s uncompromising depiction of societal struggles and his critiques of authority made him a target for the Nazi regime. As Adolf Hitler assumed power in 1933, Fallada faced mounting pressure to conform to the ideals of National Socialism.