Heinrich Mann Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (1962) Winner
Günter Kunert
ギュンター・クネルト
Gyuntaa Kunerto
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1929-03-06 （Berlin）
- Died
- 2019-09-21 （Kaisborstel, Germany） age 90
- Nationality
- Germany
- Languages
- German
- Residence History
- Berlin (born/lived) → near Itzehoe (residence after emigration) → Kaisborstel (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Graphic artist
- Active Years
- 1947-2019
- Affiliations
- P.E.N. Club
- Memberships
- P.E.N. Club
- Influenced By
- Bertolt Brecht
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Applied Arts, East Berlin | — | Graphics | — | 1946–1949 | Germany (then East Germany) |
Academy of Applied Arts, East Berlin
Graphics
Period:
1946–1949
Country:
Germany (then East Germany)
Enrolled 1946–49 in graphics; left studies before completion.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Heinrich Heine Prize | — | — | City of Düsseldorf | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | — | — | Federal Republic of Germany | 受章 |
| 2014 | Kunstpreis of Schleswig-Holstein | — | — | State of Schleswig-Holstein | 受賞 |
Heinrich Heine Prize
1985
Organization:
City of Düsseldorf
Result:
受賞
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2012
Organization:
Federal Republic of Germany
Result:
受章
Kunstpreis of Schleswig-Holstein
2014
Organization:
State of Schleswig-Holstein
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Heinrich Heine Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (1985) Winner
America Award in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 16 (2009) Winner
Works
Major Works
Wegschilder und Mauerinschriften
1950 PoetryOne of Kunert's early poetry collections, expressing postwar sensibilities and urban memory.
postwarcitymemory
Erwachsenenspiele
1997 AutobiographyAutobiographical account up to 1979, covering experiences in the GDR and life after emigration.
autobiographypoliticsmigration
Die zweite Frau
2019 NovelA late novel exploring relationships and memory with subtlety.
relationshipsmemoryageing
Bibliography
- Wegschilder und Mauerinschriften, 1950
- Der ewige Detektiv und andere Geschichten, 1954
- Erwachsenenspiele, 1997
- Die zweite Frau, 2019
- Unruhiger Schlaf, 1979
- Irrtum ausgeschlossen, 2006
Adaptations
- Das Stacheltier – film script (DEFA), 1953
- Seilergasse 8 – film script (DEFA), 1960
- Abschied – film script (DEFA), 1968
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- concise, ironic poetic stylefable-like and fragmentary short prosereflective and critical tone in essays
- Recurring Motifs
- memoryurban landscapestravelcats
Legacy
Günter Kunert was a versatile writer active across East and West Germany, producing poetry, short stories, essays and scripts. His political stance and experience of emigration informed his work, leaving an important mark on contemporary German literature.
Academic Societies
- P.E.N. Club
Archives
- German National Library (holds publications by Kunert)
Trivia
- Unable to continue secondary schooling under the Nazis because his mother was Jewish.
- Signed a 1976 petition against the expatriation of Wolf Biermann and subsequently lost SED membership.
- Emigrated from East Germany to West Germany in 1979.
- Died in 2019 at age 90 in Kaisborstel and is buried at Weißensee cemetery in Berlin.