Free Republic

A political and cultural row is brewing in Germany over a decision to award the Heinrich Heine literature prize to Peter Handke, the Austrian author who courted controversy with his eulogy at the funeral of Slobodan Milosevic. The Austrian author was named winner of the 50,000-euro ($70,745) prize, given by the city of Duesseldorf. But political and literary leaders are arguing whether the writer, known for his pro-Serbian statements and writings, should be allowed to receive the prize. Handke produced a travelogue in 1996 that showed sympathy for the Serbs as victims of the Balkan wars. Earlier this month, the...