Karl Heinz Bohrer
Encyclopedia
Karl Heinz Bohrer is a German
literary scholar and Essay
ist.
of the German Romantics
and received his post doctorate lecturing qualifications at Bielefeld University
with Die Ästhetik des Schreckens - Die pessimistische Romantik und Ernst Jüngers Frühwerk (The Aesthetics of Terror - The Pessimistic Romantics and Ernst Jünger
's Early Work).
From 1968 until 1974 Bohrer was literary editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
. Partly because of differences of opinion with his successor, Marcel Reich-Ranicki
, Bohrer went for this paper as a correspondent
to England
in 1975. He was appointed to the Chair for Modern German Literary History at Bielefeld University
. He succeeded Hans Schwab-Felisch in 1984 as editor of Merkur
, along with Kurt Scheel since 1991. Bohrer is now emeritus
at Bielefeld.
Bohrer lives in Paris and London. He had been married to Undine Gruenter until her death in 2002.
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...
literary scholar and Essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist.
Life and work
Karl Heinz Bohrer received a doctorate from the University of Heidelberg in 1962 with a dissertation about the Philosophy of HistoryPhilosophy of history
The term philosophy of history refers to the theoretical aspect of history, in two senses. It is customary to distinguish critical philosophy of history from speculative philosophy of history...
of the German Romantics
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
and received his post doctorate lecturing qualifications at Bielefeld University
Bielefeld University
Bielefeld University is a university in Bielefeld, Germany. Founded in 1969, it is one of the country's newer universities, and considers itself a "reform" university, following a different style of organization and teaching than the established universities...
with Die Ästhetik des Schreckens - Die pessimistische Romantik und Ernst Jüngers Frühwerk (The Aesthetics of Terror - The Pessimistic Romantics and Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger was a German writer. In addition to his novels and diaries, he is well known for Storm of Steel, an account of his experience during World War I. Some say he was one of Germany's greatest modern writers and a hero of the conservative revolutionary movement following World War I...
's Early Work).
From 1968 until 1974 Bohrer was literary editor of the 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...
. Partly because of differences of opinion with his successor, Marcel Reich-Ranicki
Marcel Reich-Ranicki
Marcel Reich-Ranicki is a Polish-born German literary critic and member of the literary group Gruppe 47. He is regarded as one of the most influential contemporary literary critics in the field of German literature and therefore was in Germany often called the 'Pope of literature' .-Life:Marcel...
, Bohrer went for this paper as a correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1975. He was appointed to the Chair for Modern German Literary History at Bielefeld University
Bielefeld University
Bielefeld University is a university in Bielefeld, Germany. Founded in 1969, it is one of the country's newer universities, and considers itself a "reform" university, following a different style of organization and teaching than the established universities...
. He succeeded Hans Schwab-Felisch in 1984 as editor of Merkur
Merkur (journal)
Merkur, subtitled Deutsche Zeitschrift für europäisches Denken, is one of the foremost intellectual magazines in Germany, published monthly in Stuttgart. Since August 2006, more than 688 issues of the journal has been published....
, along with Kurt Scheel since 1991. Bohrer is now emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
at Bielefeld.
Bohrer lives in Paris and London. He had been married to Undine Gruenter until her death in 2002.
Publications
- “The Lost Paradigm: Frederick II, Prussia, and July 20th”. Telos 135(Summer 2006). New York: Telos Press.
Awards
- 1978 Johann Heinrich Merck Prize
- 2000 Lessing-Preis für Kritik (Lessing Prize for Critics)
- 2002 Gadamer Foundation Professor, Deutscher Sprachpreis (German Language Prize)
- 2005 Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen KünsteGroßer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen KünsteGroßer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste is a Bavarian literary prize.- Winners :*1950 Friedrich Georg Jünger*1951 Günter Eich*1953 Marieluise Fleißer*1955 Gerd Gaiser und Martha Saalfeld*1957 Alfred Döblin*1959 Agnes Miegel...
(Greater Literary Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) - 2007 Heinrich Mann PrizeHeinrich Mann PrizeThe Heinrich Mann Prize is a literary award given annually by the Berlin Academy of Art . The prize given for works with socially critical aspects in a character that would honor Heinrich Mann...
External links
- Literature by and on Karl Heinz Bohrer in the Catalog of the German National LibraryGerman National LibraryThe German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...
- "Zu den Schriften Karl Heinz Bohrers - Der letzte Ästhet“ (To the Writings of Karl Heinz Bohrer) by Franz Schuh in Die ZeitDie ZeitDie 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...
No. 15/1998 (German) - Excerpts from Karl Heinz Bohrer from Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
- "Kein Abschied" ("No Parting") - The Bielefelder University Paper (No. 190/1997) on the retirement of Bohrer
- "Freier Geist und schöne Welt"(Free Spirit and Beautiful World) The tazDie tageszeitungdie tageszeitung , was founded in 1978 in Berlin. It is a cooperative-owned German daily newspaper which is administrated by a workers' self-management...
on the distribution of the Heinrich Mann Prize to Bohrer