Helmut Hauptmann
Encyclopedia
Helmut Hauptmann is a German
writer
who was mainly active in the then East Germany.
, he served as a Luftwaffenhelfer
in Berlin and became a Prisoner of war
at a camp in Schleswig-Holstein
. After the Abitur
, he worked with the Magistrate
of Greater Berlin
. Since the early 1950s, he has worked as a literary editor
, journalist
, and writer in Berlin.
Hauptmann writes narrative
works that reflect the ideological optimism of early East Germany as well as travel journal
s which captured the experience of the writer in the Eastern Bloc
.
Hauptmann was a member of the Schriftstellerverband of East Germany since 1956 and the P.E.N.-Zentrums
of East Germany since 1972. He is the recipient of the Erich Weinert Medal (1958), the Heinrich Mann Prize
(1960), the art prize of the Free German Trade Union Federation
(1964), and as well as the Heinrich Heine Prize
(1969).
Hauptmann and his wife Ursula currently live in Berlin-Weißensee
.
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...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who was mainly active in the then East Germany.
Life
Helmut Hauptmann grew up in a working-class family in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Near the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as a Luftwaffenhelfer
Luftwaffenhelfer
Luftwaffenhelfer are terms commonly used for German students deployed as child soldiers during World War II....
in Berlin and became a Prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
at a camp in 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...
. After the Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
, he worked with the Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of Greater Berlin
Greater Berlin Act
The Greater Berlin Act , in full the Law Regarding the Reconstruction of the New Local Authority of Berlin , was a law passed by the Prussian government in 1920 that greatly expanded the size of the German capital of Berlin.-History:...
. Since the early 1950s, he has worked as a literary editor
Literary editor
A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews. A literary editor may also help with editing books themselves, by providing services such as proof reading, copy-editing, and literary...
, 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...
, and writer in Berlin.
Hauptmann writes narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
works that reflect the ideological optimism of early East Germany as well as travel journal
Travel journal
A travel journal, also called road journal or travelogue, is a record made by a voyager. Generally in diary form, a travel journal contains descriptions of the traveler's experiences, is normally written during the course of the journey, intended on updating friends or family on the journey...
s which captured the experience of the writer in the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
.
Hauptmann was a member of the Schriftstellerverband of East Germany since 1956 and the P.E.N.-Zentrums
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
of East Germany since 1972. He is the recipient of the Erich Weinert Medal (1958), the Heinrich Mann Prize
Heinrich Mann Prize
The Heinrich Mann Prize is a literary award given annually by the Berlin Academy of Art . The prize given for works with socially critical aspects in a character that would honor Heinrich Mann...
(1960), the art prize of the Free German Trade Union Federation
Free German Trade Union Federation
The Free German Trade Union Federation, in German Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund , was the trade union federation in East Germany. It was part of the National Front and had representatives in the Volkskammer....
(1964), and as well as the Heinrich Heine Prize
Heinrich Heine Prize
Heinrich Heine Prize refers to two different awards named after the 19th century German poet Christian Johann Heinrich Heine:* Heinrich Heine prize of Düsseldorf...
(1969).
Hauptmann and his wife Ursula currently live in Berlin-Weißensee
Berlin-Weißensee
Weissensee is a locality in the borough of Pankow in Berlin, Germany, named for the small lake Weißer See within it. Before Berlin's 2001 administrative reform, Weissensee was a borough in its own right, consisting of the localities of Weissensee, Heinersdorf, Blankenburg, Karow and...
.
Works
- Das Geheimnis von Sosa (The Secret of Sosa), Berlin 1950
- Studiert wie Angelika und Hans Joachim! (Study like Angelika and Hans Joachim!), Berlin 1951
- Schwarzes Meer und weiße Rosen (Black Sea and White Roses), Berlin 1956
- Donaufahrt zu dritt (Donau Trip for Three), Berlin 1957
- Die Karriere des Hans Dietrich Borssdorf alias Jakow (The Career of Hans Dietrich Borssdorf alias Jakow), Berlin 1958
- (The Invisible with the Red Hat), Berlin 1958
- Sieben stellen die Uhr (The Clock hits Seven), Berlin 1959
- Hanna, Berlin 1963
- Das komplexe Abenteuer Schwedt (The Complex Adventurer Schwedt), Halle (Saale) 1964
- Der Kreis der Familie (The Family Circle), Halle 1964
- Blauer Himmel, blaue Helme (Blue Heavens, Blue Helmets), Halle (Saale) 1965
- Ivi, Halle (Saale) 1969
- Warum ich nach Horka ging (Why I go to Horka), Bautzen 1971
- Das unteilbare Leben (The Indivisible Life), Halle (Saale) 1972
- Standpunkt und Spielraum (Standpoint and Scope), Halle (Saale) 1977