Claus Kleber
Encyclopedia
Claus Kleber is a German
journalist
. He is the anchorman of the news show heute journal of ZDF
, a German public TV station. Specifically, he is known for his expertise in United States
politics and German-American relations, as evidenced by his 2005 book Amerikas Kreuzzüge (America's crusades).
correspondent for the German public radio station Deutschlandfunk
(DLF).
In the spring of 1989, Kleber returned to Germany as chief editor of RIAS
Berlin, the city’s most influential radio station. There, he was on location for the fall of the Berlin Wall, and brought eyewitness accounts of the crumbling Soviet Empire to Germany.
In 1990, Kleber returned to Washington as a senior correspondent and bureau chief for the ARD
, one of the two nationwide German public television networks (the other being the ZDF
, where he currently works). There, he dedicated twelve years to setting high standards in international reporting and consequently gained a reputation as one of his country’s most influential foreign policy journalists. He has reported from all fifty states in the US, and he has covered, met and interviewed every American president since Ronald Reagan
as well as the most influential members of the George W. Bush administration, including President Bush
himself as well as secretaries Condoleezza Rice
, Donald Rumsfeld
and Colin Powell
.
In 2001, Kleber moved to London as the ARD’s bureau chief. Only a few months into the new job, he received an offer from ZDF (the competing network) to take over as managing editor and principal anchor of Heute Journal, Germany’s leading television news program - an offer nobody can refuse.
Kleber is also a documentary-maker, and together with his long-standing professional partner, Angela Andersen, he has made many works, including the award-winning America, Almighty (2003), Peoples of the Orient (2003), Minefield Afghanistan (2004), India – Unstoppable (2006), and The Bomb (2009).
Foundation (1998) for excellence in economic reporting, the TV prize of the RIAS Berlin committee
(1997, 1999 and 2003), and the Deutscher Fernsehpreis (the German equivalent of the American Emmy) in 2005 and 2006. His best-selling book Amerikas Kreuzzüge (America's crusades) earned the 2005 Corine Literature Prize
for best non-fictional work. Shortly before the 2008 presidential election
, Kleber published an updated edition with his views on the candidates.
. Kleber is married to Renate Kleber, a physician. They have two daughters, 20 and 18 years old, and the family lives in Wiesbaden
, 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...
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...
. He is the anchorman of the news show heute journal of ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
, a German public TV station. Specifically, he is known for his expertise in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politics and German-American relations, as evidenced by his 2005 book Amerikas Kreuzzüge (America's crusades).
Career
Kleber started building his reputation during the 1980s as a WashingtonWashington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
correspondent for the German public radio station Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk is a German public broadcasting radio station, broadcasting national news and current affairs.-History:Broadcasting in the Federal Republic of Germany is reserved under the Basic Law to the states. This means that all public broadcasting is regionalised...
(DLF).
In the spring of 1989, Kleber returned to Germany as chief editor of RIAS
Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor
RIAS was a radio and television station in the American Sector of Berlin during the Cold War. It was founded by the US occupational authorities after World War II in 1946 to provide the German population in and around Berlin with news and political reporting and was initially only broadcast on...
Berlin, the city’s most influential radio station. There, he was on location for the fall of the Berlin Wall, and brought eyewitness accounts of the crumbling Soviet Empire to Germany.
In 1990, Kleber returned to Washington as a senior correspondent and bureau chief for the ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
, one of the two nationwide German public television networks (the other being the ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
, where he currently works). There, he dedicated twelve years to setting high standards in international reporting and consequently gained a reputation as one of his country’s most influential foreign policy journalists. He has reported from all fifty states in the US, and he has covered, met and interviewed every American president since Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
as well as the most influential members of the George W. Bush administration, including President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
himself as well as secretaries Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
and Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
.
In 2001, Kleber moved to London as the ARD’s bureau chief. Only a few months into the new job, he received an offer from ZDF (the competing network) to take over as managing editor and principal anchor of Heute Journal, Germany’s leading television news program - an offer nobody can refuse.
Kleber is also a documentary-maker, and together with his long-standing professional partner, Angela Andersen, he has made many works, including the award-winning America, Almighty (2003), Peoples of the Orient (2003), Minefield Afghanistan (2004), India – Unstoppable (2006), and The Bomb (2009).
Awards and books
Claus Kleber is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Media prize of the Johanna QuandtJohanna Quandt
Johanna Quandt is the German widow of industrialist Herbert Quandt, who resurrected BMW from bankruptcy. As a result, she is the 14th richest person in Germany....
Foundation (1998) for excellence in economic reporting, the TV prize of the RIAS Berlin committee
Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor
RIAS was a radio and television station in the American Sector of Berlin during the Cold War. It was founded by the US occupational authorities after World War II in 1946 to provide the German population in and around Berlin with news and political reporting and was initially only broadcast on...
(1997, 1999 and 2003), and the Deutscher Fernsehpreis (the German equivalent of the American Emmy) in 2005 and 2006. His best-selling book Amerikas Kreuzzüge (America's crusades) earned the 2005 Corine Literature Prize
Corine Literature Prize
The Corine – International Book Prize, as it is officially called, is a German literature prize created by theBavarian Landesverband of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels first awarded in 2001...
for best non-fictional work. Shortly before the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Kleber published an updated edition with his views on the candidates.
Education & Family
Kleber holds a doctorate in Law and Political Science from Tübingen University. He is an alumnus of StudienstiftungStudienstiftung
The German National Academic Foundation is Germany's largest organisation sponsoring students of outstanding academic achievements.It is non-political and non-denominational....
. Kleber is married to Renate Kleber, a physician. They have two daughters, 20 and 18 years old, and the family lives in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany.
External links
- Portrait at zdf.de (German)