Günter Kunert
Encyclopedia
Günter Kunert is a German writer who left the German Democratic Republic
(East Germany) to live in the Federal Republic of Germany
(West Germany).
After attending elementary school
, it was not possible for Kunert - due to the National Socialist
race laws - to continue his high school education. After World War II
ended, Kunert studied in East Berlin
's Academy of Applied Arts from 1946–49, but abandoned his studies.
He joined main political party of East Germany, the Socialist Unity Party
(SED) in 1948. He signed a petition in 1976 against the deprivation of citizenship of Wolf Biermann
and subsequently lost his SED membership. Kunert was able to leave the GDR in 1979 with a visa. He, his wife Marianne, and their granddaughter Judith established themselves near Itzehoe
in northern Germany
, where he still lives today.
Kunert is considered to be one of the most versatile and most important contemporary writers. Beside lyric poetry
, he has written short stories, essays, autobiographical works, aphorisms, satires, fairy tale
s, science fiction
, radio plays
, speeches, travel writing
, film scripts, a novel, and a drama. Kunert is also a painter and graphic artist. He has published in numerous literary magazines, such as Muschelhaufen
.
He takes a critical attitude in his works towards topics such as the belief in progress and national socialism. Kunert is a primary opponent of the new German spelling reform
, and serves as a member in the Association for German Orthography and Language Care. He is also active in the P.E.N. Club of German language
authors.
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(East Germany) to live in the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(West Germany).
After attending elementary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, it was not possible for Kunert - due to the National Socialist
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
race laws - to continue his high school education. After World War II
World 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...
ended, Kunert studied in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
's Academy of Applied Arts from 1946–49, but abandoned his studies.
He joined main political party of East Germany, the Socialist Unity Party
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
(SED) in 1948. He signed a petition in 1976 against the deprivation of citizenship of Wolf Biermann
Wolf Biermann
Karl Wolf Biermann is a German singer-songwriter and former East German dissident.-Early life:Biermann's father, who worked on the Hamburg docks, was a German Jew and a member of the German Resistance....
and subsequently lost his SED membership. Kunert was able to leave the GDR in 1979 with a visa. He, his wife Marianne, and their granddaughter Judith established themselves near Itzehoe
Itzehoe
Itzehoe is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km northwest of Hamburg and 24 km north of Glückstadt...
in northern Germany
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
, where he still lives today.
Kunert is considered to be one of the most versatile and most important contemporary writers. Beside lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
, he has written short stories, essays, autobiographical works, aphorisms, satires, fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, radio plays
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
, speeches, travel writing
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
, film scripts, a novel, and a drama. Kunert is also a painter and graphic artist. He has published in numerous literary magazines, such as Muschelhaufen
Muschelhaufen
Muschelhaufen is a German annual, originally combining literature and graphic arts. It was founded by Erik Martin from Viersen in 1969 and published - with an interruption of 11 years - until 2008, when the last issue came out Muschelhaufen (heap of shells) is a German annual, originally...
.
He takes a critical attitude in his works towards topics such as the belief in progress and national socialism. Kunert is a primary opponent of the new German spelling reform
German spelling reform of 1996
The German orthography reform of 1996 was an attempt to simplify the spelling of the German language and thus to make it easier to learn, without substantially changing the rules familiar to all living users of the language....
, and serves as a member in the Association for German Orthography and Language Care. He is also active in the P.E.N. Club of German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
authors.
External links
- Links to Günter Kunert (Freie Universität Berlin, German)