Thomas Kielinger
Encyclopedia
Thomas Kielinger OBE is a German
journalist
and publicist
. Since 1988 he has been the London correspondent for Die Welt
.
in Poland
), the last of six children. He studied at the University of Cardiff, and on graduation stayed for three years as a lecturer in the Germanic department.
in Hamburg
. In 1977, he was made Die Welt's chief correspondent in Washington DC to coincide with the inauguration of the United States
President Jimmy Carter
, and later in the era of Ronald Reagan
.
In 1988, he was invited by new editor-in-chief Mathias Döpfner
to be Die Welt's correspondent in London
, a position he still holds.
While in London, he also served as chief editor of Rheinischer Merkur
1985 to 1994.
In 1994 Kielinger became freelance, concentrating mainly as an author, guest speaker and consultant for political foundations. He wrote Crossroads and Roundabouts: Junctions in German-British Relations. As a result, at the suggestion of then British ambassador in Bonn
, Sir Nigel Broomfield, in a diplomatic note to Buckingham Palace
, Kielinger was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Kielinger was for many years on the jury of the Theodor-Wolff-Prize, and a jury member of the Lenkungsaussschusses at the Königswinter Conference. He is a regular panelist on the BBC News
weekly foreign-correspondent programme Dateline London
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
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 publicist
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
. Since 1988 he has been the London correspondent for Die Welt
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
.
Biography
Kielinger was born in 1940 in Danzig (modern day GdańskGdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), the last of six children. He studied at the University of Cardiff, and on graduation stayed for three years as a lecturer in the Germanic department.
Career
By 1971 he was deputy editor to Herbert Kremp at Die WeltDie Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. In 1977, he was made Die Welt's chief correspondent in Washington DC to coincide with the inauguration of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, and later in the era of 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....
.
In 1988, he was invited by new editor-in-chief Mathias Döpfner
Mathias Döpfner
Mathias Döpfner , is Chief Executive Officer of German media group Axel Springer AG.-Family:Mathias Döpfner grew up in Offenbach am Main. His mother was a housewife and his father Dieter C...
to be Die Welt's correspondent in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, a position he still holds.
While in London, he also served as chief editor of Rheinischer Merkur
Rheinischer Merkur
The Rheinischer Merkur was a nationwide conservative German weekly newspaper appearing on Thursdays. It was published in Bonn, its managing director was Bert Günther Wegener, and the editor in chief from 1994 to 2010 was Michael Rutz...
1985 to 1994.
In 1994 Kielinger became freelance, concentrating mainly as an author, guest speaker and consultant for political foundations. He wrote Crossroads and Roundabouts: Junctions in German-British Relations. As a result, at the suggestion of then British ambassador in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Sir Nigel Broomfield, in a diplomatic note to Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, Kielinger was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Kielinger was for many years on the jury of the Theodor-Wolff-Prize, and a jury member of the Lenkungsaussschusses at the Königswinter Conference. He is a regular panelist on the BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
weekly foreign-correspondent programme Dateline London
Dateline London
Dateline London is a weekly news discussion programme shown on both BBC News and BBC World News. The programme, presented by Gavin Esler, with Nik Gowing and Lyse Doucet acting as relief presenters, features a roundtable panel of foreign and British journalists who discuss the week's top news...
.
Awards
- 2001 Federal Cross of Merit, First Class
- 1995 Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- 1993 Honorary Fellow of the Cardiff School of Journalism
- 1990 Carlo-Schmid prize winner
- 1984 Theodor-Wolff proze winner
Publications
- "Orpheus in the Intercity. Poetry and essay," Neske Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3788503424
- "Crossroads and Roundabouts" , Bouvier 1996, ISBN 3416026683
- "The intersection and the roundabout. German and British in the center of European history," Bouvier 1996, ISBN 3416026527
- "In the wake of freedom," Bouvier 1991, ISBN 3416023161
- "What to do with Germany?" Bouvier 1991, ISBN 3416023099