Rudi Strahl facts for kids
Rudi Strahl (born September 14, 1931 – died May 4, 2001) was a German writer. He wrote plays, novels, and poems. He was one of the most popular playwrights in East Germany, also known as the GDR.
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Rudi Strahl's Early Life and Career
Rudi Strahl was born in 1931. His father was a locksmith. In 1948, his family moved to the Soviet occupation zone in Germany. From 1950, he worked in the police force. He later joined the military and served for eight years. By 1959, he was a lieutenant in the National People's Army. During his time in the military, he worked for the publishing house of the Ministry of National Defense.
In 1956, Rudi Strahl married Alice Strahl. They had two sons. His son Bob Strahl (1959–1997) also became a writer. His other son, Stefan Strahl (born 1969), is a musician.
Becoming a Writer
Rudi Strahl published his first story in 1955. It was called Sturm auf Stollberg (Storming of Stollberg). From 1957 to 1958, he studied at the German Institute for Literature. This institute helped writers improve their skills.
From 1959 to 1961, he worked as an editor. He worked for a funny magazine called Eulenspiegel. After that, he became a freelance writer in Berlin. This meant he worked for himself.
In 1973, he joined the GDR's Writer Union. He became an important member of this group in 1978. In 1980, he also joined the GDR PEN centre. This is a worldwide group for writers. Rudi Strahl passed away in 2001. He is buried in the Dorotheenstadt cemetery in Berlin.
Rudi Strahl's Popular Works
Rudi Strahl's books were very popular. About 4.6 million copies of his books were sold. His plays were performed over 560 times in theaters. His works were translated into 26 different languages.
He also wrote many scripts for movies and TV shows. His book for young people, Du und ich und Klein-Paris (You and I in Little Paris), was made into a movie in 1970. The movie was made by DEFA, a famous film studio.
Rudi Strahl was a thoughtful writer. He was a loyal citizen of East Germany, but he also saw problems. He used humor in his plays to show that things could change. His stories often pointed out issues in society.
Awards and Recognition
Rudi Strahl received several awards for his writing:
- Children's book award (1961)
- Lessing Award of the GDR (1974)
- Goethe Award of the City Berlin (1977)
- Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze (1978)
- National Prize of the GDR (1980)
- State Award for Popular Theatre Pieces of the state Baden-Württemberg
Selected Works by Rudi Strahl
Rudi Strahl wrote many different types of works. Here are some of his most well-known pieces.
Plays
- In Sachen Adam und Eva (1969)
- Nochmal ein Ding drehen (1971)
- Der Krösus von Wolkenau (1971)
- Keine Leute, keine Leute (1973)
- Ein irrer Duft von frischem Heu (1975)
- Arno Prinz von Wolkenstein oder Kader entscheiden alles (1979)
- Er ist wieder da (1980)
- Vor aller Augen (1983)
- Es war die Lerche (1990)
- Ein seltsamer Heiliger oder ein irrer Duft von Bibernell (1995)
Movie and TV Scripts
- Der Reserveheld (1965)
- Hands Up or I'll Shoot (1966/2009)
- Meine Freundin Sybille (1967)
- Wir lassen uns scheiden (1968, scenario)
- Seine Hoheit – Genosse Prinz (1969)
- Robinson für eine Nacht (1970, television)
- Du und ich und Klein-Paris (1971)
- Ein irrer Duft von frischem Heu (1977)
Children's Books
- Sandmännchen auf der Leuchtturminsel (Sandmännchen on the light house island) with illustrations by Eberhard Binder (1963)
- Robinson im Müggelwald (Robinson in the Müggelwald) with illustrations by Eberhard Binder (1969)
Satires
- Aufs Happy-End ist kein Verlaß with illustrations by Werner Klemke (1966)
- Von Mensch zu Mensch. Ein buntes Sammelsurium in Versen und in Prosa with illustrations by Karl-Georg Hirsch (1969)
- Menschen, Masken, Mimen in kleiner Prosa, Vers und Szene (1984)
- Literature by and about Rudi Strahl in the German National Library catalogue
