Michael Kumpfmüller
Encyclopedia
Michael Kumpfmüller is a German
writer and former journalist.
near Munich. After graduating from high school in Garching
in 1980 he moved to Tübingen
. He attended the Leibniz Kolleg for a one year course in General studies. He studied history and German literature at the University of Tübingen
from 1981 to 1984, at the University of Vienna
from 1984 to 1986 and at the Free University of Berlin
from 1987 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994 he was a Ph.D. student. His dissertation with the title Die Schlacht von Stalingrad (English: The Battle of Stalingrad
) studied the treatment of the battle of Stalingrad in literary and non-literary texts since 1942. From 1996 to 1998 he worked as a research fellow at the Free University of Berlin in a project on literary intellectuality and media.
Since 1985 he worked as a freelance journalist, writing mostly about labor, war and religion. He started as an intern for the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk
and worked mostly for the radio. Since 1990 he mostly wrote for newspapers and magazines, as for example Die Zeit
, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, Süddeutsche Zeitung
and the Frankfurter Rundschau
. Since 2000 he is a freelance writer.
During the 2005 German federal election
Kumpfmüller became a member of an informal civic initiative founded by Günter Grass
which supported the incumbent coalition of Social Democrats
and The Greens
. Shortly after the election Kumpfmüller became a member of the literary association
"Lübecker Literaturtreffen" (also known as "Lübeck 05", "Gruppe 06" or "Gruppe Lübeck 05"), an informal group of German authors and writers.
From April to November 2006 Kumpfmüller was a literary fellow in six cities in Lower Saxony
, writing and commenting on current events. In 2007 he was awarded the Alfred-Döblin
-Preis for his not yet published novel "Nachricht an alle" (English: "Message to all").
Kumpfmüller is married to Eva Menasse
and has lived in Berlin
since 1986.
in 2000 and later translated into Dutch, English, Finnish and French. The English version The Adventures of a Bed Salesman was translated by Anthea Bell
. Hampels Fluchten tells the story of thirty-year old womanizer and bed salesman Heinrich Hampel who flees from West Germany
to East Germany to avoid high debts. Far from beginning a new life, he continues his old lavish and promiscuous lifestyle, working as police informer for the Stasi
and dealing on the black market. The book's protagonist Heinrich Hampel serves as a symbol for the complexities of inner-German relations in times of the Cold War
.
In 2003 Kumpfmüller published the novel Durst (English: Thirst) about a woman who abandons her two childs in the midsummer with only a small juice carton left in the apartment. The novel was inspired by a real case of negligent homicide
that happened in 1999 in Frankfurt (Oder)
.
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 and former journalist.
Biography
Kumpfmüller was raised in UnterschleißheimUnterschleißheim
Unterschleißheim is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located about 10 km north of the city limits of Munich, and has a population of 27,106 .-History:...
near Munich. After graduating from high school in Garching
Garching bei München
Garching bei München or Garching is a city in Bavaria, Germany near Munich. It is the home of several research institutes and university departments. It became a city on 14 September 1990.-Location:...
in 1980 he moved to Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
. He attended the Leibniz Kolleg for a one year course in General studies. He studied history and German literature at the University of Tübingen
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen is a public university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of Germany's oldest universities, internationally noted in medicine, natural sciences and the humanities. In the area of German Studies it has been ranked first among...
from 1981 to 1984, at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
from 1984 to 1986 and at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
from 1987 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994 he was a Ph.D. student. His dissertation with the title Die Schlacht von Stalingrad (English: The Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
) studied the treatment of the battle of Stalingrad in literary and non-literary texts since 1942. From 1996 to 1998 he worked as a research fellow at the Free University of Berlin in a project on literary intellectuality and media.
Since 1985 he worked as a freelance journalist, writing mostly about labor, war and religion. He started as an intern for the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
and worked mostly for the radio. Since 1990 he mostly wrote for newspapers and magazines, as for example Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
, Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
and the Frankfurter Rundschau
Frankfurter Rundschau
The Frankfurter Rundschau is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. It is published every day but Sunday as a city, two regional and one nationwide issues and offers an online edition as well as an e-paper...
. Since 2000 he is a freelance writer.
During the 2005 German federal election
German federal election, 2005
German federal elections took place on 18 September 2005 to elect the members of the 16th German Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. They became necessary after a motion of confidence in Chancellor Gerhard Schröder failed on 1 July...
Kumpfmüller became a member of an informal civic initiative founded by Günter Grass
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author, poet, playwright, sculptor and artist.He was born in the Free City of Danzig...
which supported the incumbent coalition of Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
. Shortly after the election Kumpfmüller became a member of the literary association
Literary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of literature or a specific writer. Modern literary societies typically promote research about their chosen author or genre, publish newsletters, and hold...
"Lübecker Literaturtreffen" (also known as "Lübeck 05", "Gruppe 06" or "Gruppe Lübeck 05"), an informal group of German authors and writers.
From April to November 2006 Kumpfmüller was a literary fellow in six cities in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, writing and commenting on current events. In 2007 he was awarded the Alfred-Döblin
Alfred Döblin
Alfred Döblin was a German expressionist novelist, best known for the novel Berlin Alexanderplatz .- 1878–1918:...
-Preis for his not yet published novel "Nachricht an alle" (English: "Message to all").
Kumpfmüller is married to Eva Menasse
Eva Menasse
Eva Menasse is an Austrian author and journalist. She has studied history and German literature. Menasse had a successful career as a journalist, writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Frankfurt and as a correspondent from Prague and Berlin...
and has lived in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
since 1986.
Work
His first novel Hampels Fluchten was published in advance by the Frankfurter Allgemeine ZeitungFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
in 2000 and later translated into Dutch, English, Finnish and French. The English version The Adventures of a Bed Salesman was translated by Anthea Bell
Anthea Bell
Anthea Bell OBE is a British translator who has translated numerous literary works, especially children's literature, from French, German, Danish and Polish to English...
. Hampels Fluchten tells the story of thirty-year old womanizer and bed salesman Heinrich Hampel who flees from West 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....
to East Germany to avoid high debts. Far from beginning a new life, he continues his old lavish and promiscuous lifestyle, working as police informer for the Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
and dealing on the black market. The book's protagonist Heinrich Hampel serves as a symbol for the complexities of inner-German relations in times of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
In 2003 Kumpfmüller published the novel Durst (English: Thirst) about a woman who abandons her two childs in the midsummer with only a small juice carton left in the apartment. The novel was inspired by a real case of negligent homicide
Negligent homicide
Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against people who, through criminal negligence, allow others to die.Negligent Homicide is a lesser included offense to first and second degree murder, in the sense that someone guilty of this offense can expect a more lenient sentence, often with...
that happened in 1999 in Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
.