Fritz J. Raddatz facts for kids

Fritz J. Raddatz (2003)

Fritz Joachim Raddatz (born September 3, 1931 – died February 26, 2015) was an important German writer, journalist, and literary critic. He was known for his essays, biographies, and for writing about culture and society in newspapers.

Early Life and Education

Fritz Raddatz was born in Berlin, Germany. His mother passed away shortly after he was born. His stepfather was a pilot in World War I.

After his stepfather died in 1946, a pastor named Hans-Joachim Mund became his guardian. In 1950, Raddatz moved to East Berlin. He studied many subjects at Humboldt University of Berlin, including German studies, history, theater, art, and American studies. He finished his main studies in 1953. Later, he earned his doctorate in 1958 and completed further advanced studies in 1971 at the University of Hannover.

Career in Publishing and Journalism

When he was 20, Fritz Raddatz began writing for the Berliner Zeitung newspaper. From 1953 to 1958, he worked as the head of the foreign department at a publishing house called Verlag Volk und Welt in East Berlin. Due to difficulties with the authorities in East Germany, he moved back to West Germany in 1958.

In 1960, he became the chief editor and deputy manager at Rowohlt Verlag, a well-known publishing company. He worked there until 1969. From 1976 to 1985, he was in charge of the culture and arts section (called the feuilleton) of the famous German newspaper Die Zeit.

Fritz Raddatz was considered one of the most influential literary critics in Germany. This means he had a big impact on how people thought about German books and authors. He also published his own diaries, many essays, novels, and biographies about famous people.

Later Life and Legacy

Fritz Raddatz lived in Hamburg for over 30 years with his partner, Gerd. In September 2014, he announced that he was retiring from writing.

He passed away on February 26, 2015. He had decided that he did not want to become dependent on others for care. He felt it was time to stop writing while he was still strong and clear-minded.

Raddatz was also the chairman of the Kurt Tucholsky Foundation. He was a member of PEN-Zentrum Germany and the Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg, which are organizations for writers and artists.

Awards and Recognition

Fritz Raddatz received several honors for his work. François Mitterrand, who was the President of France, awarded him the Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This is a special award given for contributions to the arts and literature. In 2010, Raddatz was also given the Hildegard von Bingen Prize for Journalism.

Selected Works

Fritz J. Raddatz (2012)

Fritz Raddatz wrote many books and essays. Here are some of his selected works:

• Herders Konzeption der Literatur, dargelegt an seinen Frühschriften, 1958
• Traditionen und Tendenzen. Materialien zur Literatur der DDR. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1972, ISBN: 3-518-03995-4
• Georg Lukács in Selbstzeugnissen und Bilddokumenten. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1972, ISBN: 3-499-50193-7
• Karl Marx. Eine politische Biographie. Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 1975, ISBN: 3-455-06010-2
• Heinrich Heine. Ein deutsches Märchen. Essay. Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 1977, ISBN: 3-455-06011-0
• Revolte und Melancholie. Essays zur Literaturtheorie. Knaus, Hamburg 1979, ISBN: 3-8135-2543-0
• Von Geist und Geld. Heinrich Heine und sein Onkel, der Bankier Salomon. Eine Skizze. With six etchings by Günter Grass. Bund, Köln 1980, ISBN: 3-7663-0631-6
• Eros und Tod. Literarische Portraits. Knaus, Hamburg 1980, ISBN: 3-8135-2555-4
• Pyrenäenreise im Herbst. Auf den Spuren Kurt Tucholskys. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1985, ISBN: 3-498-05705-7
• Die Nachgeborenen. Leseerfahrungen mit zeitgenössischer Literatur. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1983, ISBN: 3-10-062802-0
• Lügner von Beruf. Auf den Spuren William Faulkners. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1987, ISBN: 3-498-05711-1
• Tucholsky, ein Pseudonym. Essay. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1989, ISBN: 3-498-05706-5
• Taubenherz und Geierschnabel. Heinrich Heine. Eine Biographie. Beltz, Weinheim 1997, ISBN: 3-88679-288-9
• Ich habe dich anders gedacht. Erzählung. Arche, Zürich 2001, ISBN: 3-7160-2287-X
• Gottfried Benn. Leben – niederer Wahn. Eine Biographie. Propyläen, Berlin 2001, ISBN: 3-549-07145-0
• Günter Grass. Unerbittliche Freunde. Ein Kritiker. Ein Autor. Arche, Zürich 2002, ISBN: 3-7160-2308-6
• Literarische Grenzgänger. Sieben Essays. List, München 2002, ISBN: 3-548-60220-7
• Unruhestifter. Erinnerungen. Propyläen, Berlin 2003, ISBN: 3-549-07198-1
• Eine Erziehung in Deutschland. Trilogie. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2006, ISBN: 3-498-05778-2
• Liebes Fritzchen, Lieber Groß-Uwe. Der Briefwechsel (with Uwe Johnson). Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2006, ISBN: 3-518-41839-4
• Schreiben heißt, sein Herz waschen. Literarische Essays. Zu Klampen, Springe 2006, ISBN: 3-934920-95-0
• Mein Sylt. Photos by Karin Székessy. Mare, Hamburg 2006, ISBN: 3-936384-26-6
• Das Rot der Freiheitssonne wurde Blut. Literarische Essays. Zu Klampen, Springe 2007, ISBN: 978-3-86674-013-6
• Rainer Maria Rilke. Überzähliges Dasein. Eine Biographie. Arche, Zürich 2009, ISBN: 978-3-7160-2606-9
• Nizza – mon amour. Arche, Zürich 2010, ISBN: 978-3-7160-2636-6
• Tagebücher 1982–2001. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2010, ISBN: 978-3-498-05781-7
• Bestiarium der deutschen Literatur. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2012, ISBN: 978-3-498-05793-0
• Tagebücher 2002–2012. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2014, ISBN: 978-3498057978.
• Jahre mit Ledig: Eine Erinnerung. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2015, ISBN: 978-3-498-05798-5