1960 - 1969: Art and commitment

1960
Death of Böll's father

1961
After the building of the Berlin Wall on August, 13 a heated controversy erupts over the role of writers as "the conscience of a nation". Together with 22 other authors, Böll appeals to the UN to move their headquarters to Berlin - East as well as West.

1962
Publication of the two stories "When the War Broke Out" and "When the War was Over". Böll's first trip to the Soviet Union.

1963
"The Clown" published.  Böll's output in essays and journalism is on the increase.

1964
Publication of the programmatic story "Absent Without Leave".

1965
In a number of articles Böll defends East German writer and singer Wolf Biermann against attacks by the East German media.

1966
Publication of the novella "End of a Mission".

1967
Böll is awarded Germany's most prestigious literary price, the Georg-Büchner-Preis.  He is taken seriously ill with hepatitis and diabetes.

1968
In May Böll addresses some 70,000 demonstrators in Bonn during a rally against the passing of new emergency laws. The Czech Authors' Association invites Böll along with Aragon and Sartre to visit Czechoslovakia.  Böll goes to Prague in August where he witnesses the country's invasion by Warsaw Pact troops bringing to an end Dubcek's attempt at democratisation. Böll acquires an old cottage in Langenbroich, a village near Düren in the Eifel hills.

1969
At the inaugural meeting of the Association of German Writers (VS) Böll delivers a speech on "The End of Modesty".  The new coalition government of social democrats and liberals leads Böll to hope for a policy based on morals, especially regarding relations with Eastern Europe. During the 1972 elections he comes out in support of the social democrats. The political situation in West Germany becomes increasingly tense as a result of the emergent terrorism and the government's overreaction to it. Many conservative politicians and newspapers term Böll and other intellectuals "foster-fathers of terrorism".