Stefan Heym was a rebel long before he reached the German Democratic Republic, but he proved to be that country's first, one of its most popular, and certainly one of its most successful dissidents. He was, typically, centrally involved in the journalistic pressure on the GDR government prior to its resignation, and he was one of the first to take a symbolic step through the Berlin Wall. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Heym did not allow himself to be either muzzled by censorship or to be harassed into exile in West Germany. He maintained his sharply critical position despite all dangers, and he completed no fewer than thirty-six years of open, serious disagreement with the government and its official bodies. No study of East German literature, or even East German history, is complete without substantial reference to his achievements.

Given the wide range of activities in which Heym has been involved, there is no difficulty in finding a succession of adjectives to describe his personality. The most obvious, in an approximate order of celebrity are: courageous, shrewd, versatile, indefatigable, committed, outspoken, single-minded. As the list suggests, Heym does not choose easy options, and he has never relied on others for support.