Grete Weiskopf facts for kids

Grete Weiskopf (born May 11, 1905 – died March 15, 1966), who wrote under the pen name Alex Wedding, was a German author. She was famous for writing books for children and young adults.

Her Life Story

Grete Bernheim was born in Salzburg. When she was younger, she worked in different jobs like a typist (someone who types documents), a bookseller, and a bank clerk in Berlin.

In 1928, she married Franz Carl Weiskopf. He was also a writer and was part of a political group called the German Communist Party. In 1931, Grete wrote her first book for young people, Ede und Unku. This book was later among many books that were burned by the Nazis, a very bad political group, because they didn't like the ideas in them.

Because of the danger, Grete and her husband had to leave Germany. In 1933, they moved to Prague. Then, in 1939, they moved again, first to Paris and then to New York City.

After World War II ended, they returned to Prague for a short time. Her husband then started working for his country as a diplomat, which meant he worked in other countries like Washington, DC and Stockholm. From 1950 to 1952, they lived in China. There, Grete worked as a translator, changing words from one language to another, and as a journalist, writing for newspapers. From 1953 until she passed away, she lived in East Germany. Grete and her husband are buried together in a cemetery called Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde.

Her Writing Career

While living in East Germany, Grete Weiskopf wrote many novels and short stories for children and young adults. Her two most well-known books are Ede und Unku and The Arctic Ocean. Both of these books were later made into movies! She was seen as a very important writer who helped create a new style of children's literature that shared ideas about society and fairness.

Honors and Recognition

Grete Weiskopf's work is still remembered today:

• A special writing award, the Alex-Wedding-Preis, is named after her. It has been given to writers since 1968.
• On January 27, 2011, a path in a place called Friedrichshain was named Ede-und-Unku-Weg. This was done to remember her most famous book and to honor the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Nation Socialism, a day to remember people who suffered under the bad Nazi government.
• Since 2009, a street in Berlin, near Alexanderplatz, has been named Alex-Wedding-Strasse.

Her Books

• 1931: Ede und Unku
• 1936: Das Eismeer ruft (The Arctic Ocean Calls)
• 1948: Die Fahne des Pfeiferhänsleins (The Piper Boy's Flag)
• 1948: Söldner ohne Sold, Ein Roman für die Jugend (Soldiers Without Pay, A Novel for Youth)
• 1952: Das eiserne Büffelchen (The Iron Buffalo Calf)
• 1961: Die Drachenbraut. Chinesische Volksmärchen (The Dragon Bride. Chinese Folk Tales)
• 1963: Hubert, das Flusspferd (Hubert the Hippopotamus). This book was based on the true story of a famous hippopotamus named Huberta.
• 1965: Im Schatten des Baobab. Märchen und Fabeln aus Afrika (In the Shadow of the Baobab. Fairy Tales and Fables from Africa)

Movies Based on Her Work

Film Adaptations

• 1961: Das Eismeer ruft (Ledove more vola), directed by Hanus Burger
• 1980: Als Unku Edes Freundin war (When Unku Was Ede's Friend), directed by Helmut Dziuba
• 1982: Das große Abenteuer des Kaspar Schmeck (The Great Adventure of Kaspar Schmeck), directed by Gunter Friedrich
• 1984: Das Eismeer ruft, directed by Jörg Foth

Film Scripts

• 1957: Lissy
• 1964: Ferientage (Holiday Days)