Rainer Maria Schröder, born 1951 in Rostock

Rostock

Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...

, is a German author of historical novels for all ages, juveniles and adults. He studied many different trades, including that of an opera singer. Since 1977 he has been a freelance journalist in Germany

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...

 and the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The backgrounds of his stories are all well researched, and he writes about places he has visited. Most of his stories are set in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

. He currently lives in Georgia and enjoys hiking and camping.

Awards

In 1988 his book Abby Lynn - Verbannt ans Ende der Welt was awarded the Friedrich-Gerstäcker Preis, Die Lagune der Galeeren received the 2005 Buxtehude Bulle

Buxtehude Bulle

The Buxtehude Bull is a renowned prize for youth literature, established in 1971 by Winfried Ziemann, a book merchant from Buxtehude, a small, thousand year old city, located in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The city took over the sponsorship of the prize in 1981...

.

• 1984 Silbernes Schneider- Buch vom Franz-Schneider Verlag
• 1988 Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Preis for Abby-Lynn - Verbannt ans Ende der Welt
• 1993 Goldenes Schneider- Buch from the Franz-Schneider Verlag
• 1998 3. international Eifel- Literaturpreis for Das Geheimnis der weißen Mönche
• 1998 Book of the Month - Prize for Mein Feuer brennt im Land der fallenden Wasser from the Deutschen Akademie für Kinder- und Jugendbücher
• 1999 JuBu Buch des Monats for Felix Faber - übers Meer und durch die Wildnis
• 2003 Moerser Jugendbuchpreis for Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers
• 2003 Book of the Month - Prize for Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Jugendbuch Göttingen
• 2005 Buxtehuder Bulle for Die Lagune der Galeeren