Hans Ulrich Steger facts for kids

Hans Ulrich Steger (known as H. U. Steger) was a talented Swiss artist. He was famous for his funny caricatures, amazing children's books, and other artworks. He was born on March 21, 1923, and passed away on June 18, 2016.

The Life of H. U. Steger

His Early Years and Training

H. U. Steger was born in Zürich, Switzerland. He grew up in a town nearby called Küsnacht. His father, Adolf P. Steger, was an architect.

From 1939 to 1943, H. U. Steger studied at the Zurich University of the Arts. He focused on graphic art, which is about creating images and designs.

During this time, World War II was happening in many countries around Switzerland. It was hard for Steger to find work in art or design. So, at night, he would draw pictures of famous people. These included leaders like Mussolini, Stalin, and Haile Selassie.

He sent one of his drawings to a journalist named Carl Böckli. Soon after, in 1943, his first published cartoons appeared. They were in a funny magazine called Nebelspalter. That same year, he also started his mandatory military service.

His Creative Career Begins

After the war, Steger started working for a big political magazine called Weltwoche. This was from 1945 to 1961. Many of his cartoons were even used on the front cover!

In 1959, he married Margrit Teuscher. Steger also loved to teach. He taught at the Zurich University of the Arts from 1960 to 1981. He first taught about fashion, then later about teaching skills. From 1963 to 1968, he also taught at the Lucerne Arts Academy.

Working for Newspapers

From 1961 to 1967, Steger worked as a caricaturist for a newspaper called Zürcher Woche. This was a very important newspaper in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland.

Then, from 1967 to 1997, he worked for the popular newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. At first, he drew cartoons mostly about international politics. But later, he started drawing about Swiss topics too. He also continued to draw for Nebelspalter from 1972 to 1987.

More Than Just Cartoons

H. U. Steger was known for his direct and clear caricatures. But he did much more than just drawing funny pictures! He was also a painter and a graphic artist. He designed toys and wrote children's books. He even organized art exhibitions. He was also interested in learning about local traditions and stories.

In 2002, Steger began giving his original drawings and papers to the archive for contemporary history at the National Institute of Technology (ETH). Over many years, the ETH collected a huge number of his illustrations. He often used real photos of politicians to help him draw his caricatures. These photos are now part of the collection too.

Hans Ulrich Steger passed away on June 20, 2016, in Maschwanden. He was a grandfather and even a great-grandfather. His family asked that instead of sending flowers for his funeral, people should donate money to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Steger's Amazing Caricatures

Steger's caricatures often got ideas from books, especially fairy tales and nursery rhymes. He also found inspiration in famous paintings, sculptures, and movies.

He gave about 1,800 of his original caricatures to the archive at the National Institute of Technology (ETH). These drawings are from after World War II until the end of the 1900s. They mostly show international and Swiss politics.

His Wonderful Children's Books

H. U. Steger wrote two very successful children's books. They were called "Reise nach Tripiti" (which means "Journey to Tripiti") published in 1967, and "Wenn Kubaki kommt" (meaning "If Kubaki comes") from 1976. These books show how much he loved small details and traveling to faraway places.

"Reise nach Tripiti" was so popular that it was translated into many different languages. These include English, Afrikaans, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and Japanese.