Heinz G. Konsalik facts for kids
Heinz G. Konsalik was the pen name of Heinz Günther (born May 28, 1921 – died October 2, 1999). He was a German novelist. Konsalik was his mother's maiden name.
During World War II, he worked as a war correspondent. This job gave him many ideas for his books. Many of his novels were about war. They often showed the human side of soldiers and their families. For example, Das geschenkte Gesicht (Mask My Agony) is about a German soldier. His face is badly hurt, and the book shows how this affects his life and marriage. It focuses on people in hard situations. It does not judge the German side of the war.
His book Der Arzt von Stalingrad (The Doctor of Stalingrad) made him very famous. It was even made into a movie in 1958. Konsalik wrote 155 novels. About 83 million copies of his books were sold. This made him the most popular German novelist after the war. Many of his books were translated into other languages. He is buried in Cologne, Germany.
Early Life and Writing
When Heinz Günther was 16, he wrote articles for newspapers in Cologne. In 1938, he wrote his first poem that he felt was good enough. In 1939, as a high school student, he finished a play called Der Geuse ("The Beggar").
He later joined the Hitler Youth. This was a youth group in Nazi Germany. In 1939, he started working for the Gestapo. This was the secret police of the Nazi government. He also wrote another play called Gutenberg. He tried to join the Nazi writer's union. At first, he was not accepted. But later, he met the rules and became a member. This was needed to publish books regularly.
After high school, he studied medicine. Then he changed to study theater and literature. During World War II, he became a war reporter in France. Later, he served as a soldier on the Eastern Front. He was badly hurt in his arm in Smolensk, Russia. He later said his time in Russia during the war was a "monstrous school."
Famous Books
Heinz G. Konsalik wrote many popular novels. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Der Mann, der sein Leben vergaß (1952)
- Die schweigenden Kanäle (1954)
- Der Arzt von Stalingrad (1956, The Naked Earth, a.k.a. The Doctor of Stalingrad)
- Viele Mütter heißen Anita (1956)
- Sie fielen vom Himmel (1958, They Fell from the Sky)
- Die Rollbahn (1959, Highway to Hell)
- Schicksal aus zweiter Hand (1959)
- Strafbataillon 999 (1959, Straf-Battalion 999)
- Agenten kennen kein Pardon (1960)
- Ich beantrage Todesstrafe (1960)
- Der rostende Ruhm (1960)
- Der letzte Karpatenwolf (1961, The Last Carpathian Wolf)
- Dr. med. Erika Werner (1962, Doctor Erica Werner)
- Fronttheater (1962, Front-Line Theatre)
- Das geschenkte Gesicht (1962, Mask My Agony, a.k.a. The Changed Face)
- Der Himmel über Kasakstan (1962, Skies over Kazakstan)
- Natascha (1962, Natasha)
- Entmündigt (1963, Certified Insane)
- Zerstörter Traum vom Ruhm (1963)
- Das Herz der 6. Armee (1964, The Heart of the 6th Army)
- Privatklinik (1965, Private Hell)
- Liebesnächte in der Taiga (1966)
- Zum Nachtisch wilde Früchte (1967)
- Das Schloß der blauen Vögel (1968)
- Bluthochzeit in Prag (1969)
- Liebe am Don (1970, Love on the Don)
- Der Wüstendoktor (1971, The Desert Doctor)
- Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen (1972)
- Der Leibarzt der Zarin (1972)
- Aus dem Nichts ein neues Leben (1973)
- Ninotschka, die Herrin der Taiga (1973)
- Des Sieges bittere Tränen (1973)
- Ein Sommer mit Danica (1973, Summer with Danica)
- Ein toter Taucher nimmt kein Gold (1973)
- Eine Urwaldgöttin darf nicht weinen (1973)
- Engel der Vergessenen (1974, Angel of the Damned)
- Ein Komet fällt vom Himmel (1974)
- Die Verdammten der Taiga (1974, The Damned of the Taiga)
- Wen die schwarze Göttin ruft (1974)
- Alarm! Das Weiberschiff (1976)
- Das Doppelspiel (1977)
- Eine glückliche Ehe (1977, The War Bride)
- Die schöne Ärztin (1977, The Ravishing Doctor)
- Sie waren zehn (1979, Strike Force Ten)
- Die Erbin (1979, The Heiress)
- Die dunkle Seite des Ruhms (1980)
- Frauenbataillon (1981)
- Ein Kreuz in Sibirien (1983)
- Die strahlenden Hände (1984)
- Das Bernsteinzimmer (1988)
- Der schwarze Mandarin (1994)
Movies Based on His Books
Many of Konsalik's novels were turned into movies. Here are some of them:
- The Doctor of Stalingrad, a movie from 1958, based on Der Arzt von Stalingrad.
- Strafbataillon 999, a 1960 film, based on Strafbataillon 999.
- Love Nights in the Taiga, a 1967 film, based on Liebesnächte in der Taiga.
- Champagner für Zimmer 17, a 1969 film, based on Ein heißer Körper zu vermieten.
- Schwarzer Nerz auf zarter Haut, a 1970 film, based on Schwarzer Nerz auf zarter Haut.
- Slaughter Hotel, a 1971 film, based on Das Schloß der blauen Vögel.
- No Gold for a Dead Diver, a 1974 film, based on Ein toter Taucher nimmt kein Gold.
- Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen, a 1974 film, based on Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen.
- Vreemde Wêreld, a 1974 film, based on Entmündigt.
- The Secret Carrier, a 1975 film.
- Docteur Erika Werner, a TV miniseries from 1978, based on Dr. med. Erika Werner.
- La Passion du docteur Bergh, a 1996 TV film, based on Der rostende Ruhm.
- One Step Too Far, a 1998 TV film, based on Eine Sünde zuviel.
- China Dream, a 1998 TV film, based on Der schwarze Mandarin.
See also
In Spanish: Heinz Günther Konsalik para niños
