F. W. Bernstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids F. W. Bernstein
Bernstein in 2005
Born	Fritz Weigle (1938-03-04)4 March 1938 Göppingen, Germany
Died	20 December 2018(2018-12-20) (aged 80) Berlin, Germany
Alma mater	Stuttgarter Kunstakademie Berlin Academy of the Arts Free University of Berlin
Occupation	Poet cartoonist satirist academic
Organization	pardon Berlin Academy of the Arts Neue Frankfurter Schule
Spouse(s)	Sabine Weigle
Awards	Kassel Literary Prize Wilhelm Busch Prize

F. W. Bernstein (born Fritz Weigle; 4 March 1938 – 20 December 2018) was a German poet, cartoonist, satirist, and academic. He worked for the satirical biweekly pardon. After teaching at schools, he was professor of caricature and comics at the Berlin Academy of the Arts from 1984 to 1999. He was one of the founding members of the Neue Frankfurter Schule, which published the satirical magazine Titanic.

Career

Born in Göppingen on 4 March 1938, Fritz Weigle was the only son of Anna (née Krathwohl) and Friedrich Weigle. He attended the gymnasium in Göppingen, where he was known by the nickname Bernstein. He studied from 1957 at the Stuttgarter Kunstakademie where he met Robert Gernhardt. In 1958, they both moved to the Berlin Academy of the Arts. Weigle returned to Stuttgart where he took the exam to be an art teacher in 1961. Later in 1961, he studied graphics in Berlin, and simultaneously German at the Free University of Berlin, completing in 1964. He began work as a teacher in 1966 in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen at the Freiherr-vom-Stein-Schule [de], followed by a post in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe from 1968.

He taught at the Georg-Büchner-Gymnasium [de] in Bad Vilbel from 1970 to 1972, and moved then to the School of education (Pädagogische Hochschule) in Göttingen. He was appointed professor of caricature and comics at the Berlin Academy of the Arts in 1984, the only such chair, and held the post until he retired in 1999. In April 1964, he began work for the satirical biweekly magazine pardon. He founded together with Gernhardt and F. K. Waechter its appendix Welt im Spiegel [de] (World in the mirror), published until 1976.

"Die schärfsten Kritiker der Elche
waren früher selber welche“
("The hottest critics of the moose were formerly ones themselves") Bronze by Hans Traxler [de; fr] in front of the Caricatura Museum Frankfurt

Together with Gernhardt, Eckhard Henscheid [de; fr], Waechter, Chlodwig Poth [de; fr], Bernd Eilert [de; fr], Peter Knorr [de; fr], and Hans Traxler [de; fr], Bernstein founded the group Neue Frankfurter Schule, publishing the satirical magazine Titanic from 1979.

F. W. Bernstein lived and worked in Berlin-Steglitz. He and his wife Sabine had two children. He died on 20 December 2018, aged 80.

Work

His works are held by the German National Library, including:

• Frische Gedichte. Verlag Antje Kunstmann, München 2017, ISBN: 978-3-95614-169-0.

Exhibitions

• 2011 F. W. Bernstein: Den Rest können Sie sich denken! Mathematikum
• 2013 F. W. Bernstein zum 75. Geburtstag. Wilhelm Busch – Deutsches Museum für Karikatur & Zeichenkunst
• 2013 F. W. Bernstein – Zeichenzausels Werkschau. Museum für Komische Kunst, Frankfurt am Main

Awards

Bernstein received several awards, including:

• 2003: Göttinger Elch [de]
• 2003: Binding-Kulturpreis [de]
• 2008: Kassel Literary Prize for grotesque humour
• 2008: Wilhelm Busch Prize
• 2011: Deutscher Karikaturenpreis [de]
• 2018: Ludwig Emil Grimm-Preis for caricature