Michael Naumann facts for kids
Michael Naumann (born December 8, 1941) is a German politician, publisher, and journalist. He served as Germany's first Secretary of Culture from 1998 to 2001. He is married to Marie Warburg. From 2012 to 2021, Naumann was the director of the Barenboim–Said Academy in Berlin.
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Early Life and Learning
Michael Naumann was born in Köthen, Germany. His father passed away in 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad. In 1953, when Michael was eleven, he and his mother had to move to Hamburg. They left because the government in East Germany was watching his mother due to her family connections in the USA.
Naumann studied political science and earned his PhD from Munich University in 1969. He continued his studies at Queen's College, Oxford in England. He wrote his main paper on the writer Karl Kraus and later wrote another important paper on how the idea of heroism has changed over time.
Career Highlights
Working in Publishing and Media
Michael Naumann worked for well-known German magazines like Der Spiegel and Die Zeit. At Die Zeit, he became a chief-editor and later a publisher. In 1985, he became the publisher of Rowohlt Verlag, a publishing house.
Later, in 1995, he moved to New York. There, he led Metropolitan Books and then Henry Holt, another publishing company. From 2004, he hosted a political talk show in Germany called Talk im Palais. He stopped hosting it when he became a candidate for mayor of Hamburg in 2007. From 2010 to 2012, he was the chief-editor and publisher of Cicero magazine.
Political Roles
Secretary of Culture
Between 1998 and 2001, Naumann was the first Secretary of Culture for the German government. This role involves looking after art, music, and other cultural activities for the country.
One of his most remembered actions was related to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. He did not approve the first design for the memorial. Instead, he chose a different design by Peter Eisenman. This design included an underground "Ort der Information" (Place of Information), which helps visitors learn about the history of the Holocaust.
Running for Mayor in Hamburg
In late 2007, Naumann became the official candidate for the Social Democratic Party of Germany to run for mayor of Hamburg. The election took place on February 24, 2008.
During his campaign, Naumann focused on important topics like social welfare, improving education, and making Hamburg's infrastructure better. He also talked about the importance of accepting referendums (public votes) and having an honest city government.
Even though the election was challenging, the Social Democrats gained more votes compared to the previous election in 2004. Naumann decided not to form a coalition with the Left Party. After the election, on May 22, he announced that he would leave his seat in the Hamburg parliament on June 15. He returned to his former job as a publisher for Die Zeit.
Other Activities
- Einstein Forum, Member of the Board of Trustees
- Jewish Museum Berlin, Member of the Board of Trustees
- Museum Berggruen, Member of the International Council
Recognition
- 2006 – Julius Campe Prize
- 2018 – Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
