Harry Mulisch | Dutch novelist, 83

Harry Mulisch, 83, who turned his experiences as the son of a Jewish mother and a father who was a Nazi collaborator into some of the Netherlands' most renowned works of fiction, has died at his home in Amsterdam.

His 1982 novel, The Assault, was seen as helping the Dutch come to terms with the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. It looks at the difficulty of attributing innocence and guilt to those who resisted the Nazis, those who cooperated with them, and the many who didn't take sides.

The author, who died of cancer late Saturday, was best known outside Holland for his novels The Discovery of Heaven and The Assault, which were made into films. The Assault won the 1986 Oscar for best foreign film.

Mr. Mulisch became a fixture in the Dutch literary scene within years of the war and embraced his reputation for self-importance.

On the back of the cover of one of his books, he placed a photo of himself on vacation in Italy with the caption "From left to right: Mount Vesuvius, Harry Mulisch."

His father, an Austrian immigrant, worked in a German-controlled bank and dealt with looted Jewish assets, including art. He was able to use his influence to save Harry's mother - but not her parents - from deportation and death in Nazi gas chambers. He was imprisoned for several years after the war as a collaborator.

The Assault centers on a Dutch boy whose family was slaughtered by the Germans in retaliation for the murder of a collaborator - but the attack was carried out by members of the resistance. Later in life the man tries to sort out who was guilty of what, including many of the family's immediate neighbors.

"We all grew up with Harry Mulisch," said Prime Minister Mark Rutte. - AP