Victor Grossman — Biography
Stephen Wechsler · 1928–2025 · New York to Berlin
Victor Grossman (born Stephen Wechsler, March 11, 1928 – December 17, 2025) was an American socialist journalist, author, and translator who lived in East Germany and Berlin. The only person known to hold degrees from both Harvard University and Karl Marx University in Leipzig, he wrote the Berlin Bulletin and worked as a bridge between East and West.
Life and work
Born Stephen Wechsler in New York City on March 11, 1928, Victor Grossman studied economics at Harvard University and journalism at Karl Marx University in Leipzig — the only person known to hold degrees from both institutions. After defecting across the Danube River in August 1952, he lived in East Germany (the GDR) and later reunified Berlin as a journalist, author, and translator.
For decades he wrote the Berlin Bulletin, a newsletter read around the world for its eyewitness account of German politics, social change, and international affairs. His memoir Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany remains a landmark account of the Cold War from the Eastern side of the divide.
Memorial archive at victorgrossman.com
This official memorial site preserves Victor Grossman's writing, images, funeral eulogies (Trauerfeier), and tributes from friends and readers. Explore:
Key dates
- Born: March 11, 1928 — New York City, United States
- Died: December 17, 2025 — Berlin, Germany
- Memorial service: Berlin, January 15, 2026
Also known as
Stephen Wechsler, Victor Grossman Berlin, Berlin Bulletin author, GDR journalist, American author in East Germany, Harvard and Leipzig alumnus.