Reiner Kunze facts for kids
Reiner Kunze is a well-known German writer. He was born on August 16, 1933, in a town called Oelsnitz, Erzgebirge in Saxony, Germany. He studied media and journalism at the University of Leipzig. Reiner Kunze is famous for his poetry and for being a "dissident" in East Germany (which was known as the GDR). This means he disagreed with the government there.
In 1968, he left the main political party in East Germany, called the SED. This happened after countries from the Warsaw Pact (a group of communist nations) invaded Czechoslovakia. They did this to stop a period of change called the Prague Spring. Because of his views, Reiner Kunze had to publish his writings using different names to stay safe.
In 1976, his most famous book, The Lovely Years, was published in West Germany. This book shared important thoughts about life and government rules behind the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain was a term for the border that separated communist East Europe from West Europe. His book was very popular. In 1977, the East German government made him leave the country. He then moved to West Germany. Today, he lives near Passau in Bavaria.
Reiner Kunze mostly writes poetry. But he also writes prose, which includes essays. He is also a talented translator, changing Czech poems and stories into German.
The secret police in East Germany, called the Stasi, tried to make life difficult for him. They used a special program to cause him psychological stress.
In 2009, he received the Thüringer Literaturpreis, a special award for writers.
Reiner Kunze's Writings
Reiner Kunze has written many books and poems. His works often share his thoughts and feelings about life and freedom. Here are some of his notable works:
- Vögel über dem Tau (Birds Over the Dew). 1959
- Sensible Wege (Sensitive Paths). 1969
- Der Löwe Leopold, fast Märchen, fast Geschichten (Leopold the Lion, Almost Fairy Tales, Almost Stories). 1970
- Zimmerlautstärke (Room Volume). 1972
- Briefe mit blauem Siegel (Letters with a Blue Seal). 1973
- Die wunderbaren Jahre (The Lovely Years). 1976
- Das Märchen vom Dis (The Tale of Dis). 1976
- Auf eigene Hoffnung (On One's Own Hope). 1981
- Gespräch mit der Amsel (Conversation with the Blackbird). 1984
- Das weiße Gedicht (The White Poem). 1989
- Am Sonnenhang, Tagebuch eines Jahres (On the Sunny Slope, Diary of a Year). 1993
- Ein Tag auf Dieser Erde (A Day on This Earth). 1998
- Die Aura der Wörter (The Aura of Words). 2002
- Der Kuß der Koi (The Kiss of the Koi). 2002
- Lindennacht (Linden Night). 2007
- Die Stunde mit dir selbst. Gedichte (The Hour with Yourself. Poems). 2018
Awards and Honors
Reiner Kunze has received many important awards for his writing and his courage. These awards show how much his work is valued around the world.
- 1968 Übersetzerpreis des Tschechoslowakischen Schriftstellerverbandes (Translator's Prize)
- 1971 Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis (German Youth Literature Prize)
- 1973 Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste (Grand Literature Prize)
- 1977 Georg Trakl Prize (Georg Trakl Poetry Prize)
- 1977 Andreas-Gryphius-Preis (Andreas Gryphius Prize)
- 1977 Georg Büchner Prize (Georg Büchner Prize)
- 1979 Bavarian Film Awards, Best Screenplay
- 1981 Geschwister Scholl-Preis (Geschwister Scholl Prize)
- 1984 Eichendorff-Literaturpreis (Eichendorff Literature Prize)
- 1988 Bavarian Order of Merit
- 1990 Herbert und Elsbeth Weichmann-Preis
- 1990 Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize
- 1993 Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1993 Honorary doctorate Technische Universität Dresden
- 1995 Honorary citizen of Greiz
- 1997 Weilheimer Literaturpreis
- 1999 Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis
- 2001 Hans Sahl Prize
- 2001 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
- 2002 Kunstpreis zur deutsch-tschechischen Verständigung (Art Prize for German-Czech Understanding)
- 2003 Honorary citizen of Oelsnitz, Erzgebirge
- 2004 Czech translation prize Premia Bohemica
- 2008 Order of Merit of the Free State of Thuringia
- 2009 Memminger Freiheitspreis 1525 (Memmingen Freedom Prize 1525)
- 2009 Thüringer Literaturpreis (Thuringian Literature Prize)
- 2013 Robert Schuman Medal, EPP Group
- 2013 America Award for his lifetime work in international writing
English Editions of His Work
Some of Reiner Kunze's books have been translated into English, allowing more people to read his important stories and poems.
- The Lovely Years
- In Time of Need: A Conversation about Poetry, Resistance & Exile (with Mireille Gansel)
- Zimmerlautstarke With the Volume Down Low (Swamp Press, 1981)
See also
In Spanish: Reiner Kunze para niños
