Arno Surminski
Encyclopedia
Arno Surminski is a German writer
, living in Hamburg
, and a father of two.
After growing up in East Prussia, his parents were deported to ther Soviet Union
, while he was expelled to Schleswig-Holstein
. Having finished his school education there, he was apprenticed to a lawyer
from 1950-1953.
He lived in Canada
from 1957 to 1960, but then came back to Germany, where he worked for an insurance company from 1962 until 1972.
Since 1972, apart from writing, he has been working as a journalist
, specialising in economy
and insurance
. His fame is mainly due to his novels, the principal themes of which are his recollections of a happy childhood and the fate of the deportees; he has no interest however in revenge, but only wants to preserve his childhood memories. Several of his books were used for TV productions.
Since 2001, he has been working as an ombudsman
in the field of health insurance.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, living in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and a father of two.
After growing up in East Prussia, his parents were deported to ther Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, while he was expelled to Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
. Having finished his school education there, he was apprenticed to a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from 1950-1953.
He lived in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1957 to 1960, but then came back to Germany, where he worked for an insurance company from 1962 until 1972.
Since 1972, apart from writing, he has been working as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, specialising in economy
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. His fame is mainly due to his novels, the principal themes of which are his recollections of a happy childhood and the fate of the deportees; he has no interest however in revenge, but only wants to preserve his childhood memories. Several of his books were used for TV productions.
Since 2001, he has been working as an ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
in the field of health insurance.
Books by Surminski
- Jokehnen oder Wie lange fährt man von Ostpreußen nach Deutschland? ISBN 3550083289
- Aus dem Nest gefallen
- Kudenow oder An fremden Wassern weinen
- Fremdes Land oder Als die Freiheit noch zu haben war
- Wie Königsberg im Winter
- Polninken oder Eine deutsche Liebe
- Grunowen oder das vergangene Leben
- Gewitter im Januar
- Malojawind. Eine Liebesgeschichte
- Aus dem Leben eines Buchhändlers
- Das dunkle Ende des Regenbogens
- Damals in Poggenwalde
- Kein schöner Land
- Besuch aus Stralsund
- Sommer 44 oder Wie lange fährt man von Deutschland nach Ostpreußen?
- Die masurischen Könige
- Eine gewisse Karriere
- Die Kinder von Moorhusen
- Der Winter der Tiere
- Vaterland ohne Väter
- Gruschelke und Engelmanke
- Die Vogelwelt von Auschwitz, ISBN 978-3-7844-3126-0
- Das alte Ostpreussen
Awards
- 1978 Andreas-Gryphius-Preis
- 1982 Kulturpreis der Landsmannschaft Ostpreußen für Literatur
- 1993 Hamburger Bürgerpreis
- 2001 Lessing-Ring zusammen mit dem Kulturpreis der deutschen Freimaurer
- 2004 Friedrich-Schiedel-Literaturpreis der Stadt Bad Wurzach; Biermann-Ratjen-Medaille der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg
- 2008 Hannelore-Greve-Literaturpreis