New Biography Examines Rudolf Augstein, Founder of Der Spiegel
Martin Doerry and Hauke Janssen present Rudolf Augstein, the founder of Der Spiegel, in a new biography as a contradictory figure: an oppositional publicist, a power-conscious publisher, and a conflicted patriarch of West German press history. According to the authors, Augstein was long fascinated by significant men who wielded intellect and power, produced great works, or bore responsibility for serious crimes. He sought to explore this mystery through biographies of figures such as Frederick II and even Jesus, though in Augstein's view Jesus was blameless for the church's dogmatic legacy. The emphatically heightened anti-bourgeois figure had, for Augstein, only two faces: artist or criminal. A remark from 1941, when he was still a high school graduate, that Adolf Hitler was possible only in Germany reflects his obsession with the demonic dimensions of an intensified existence. Doerry and Janssen record these observations in their Augstein biography. Further details are available in the current issue.
Key facts
- Martin Doerry and Hauke Janssen wrote a new biography of Der Spiegel founder Rudolf Augstein.
- The biography portrays Augstein as an oppositional publicist, a power-conscious publisher, and a contradictory patriarch of West German press history.
- Augstein was fascinated by powerful men who created great works or committed serious crimes.
- He wrote biographies of Frederick II and Jesus.
- Augstein believed Jesus was not responsible for the church's dogmatic legacy.
- For Augstein, the emphatically anti-bourgeois figure had only two faces: artist or criminal.
- In 1941, as a high school graduate, Augstein remarked that Adolf Hitler was possible only in Germany.
- The book is titled Augstein and is discussed in the current issue of the source publication.
Entities
Artists
- Rudolf Augstein
- Martin Doerry
- Hauke Janssen
- Friedrich II.
- Jesus
- Adolf Hitler
Institutions
- Der Spiegel
- Freitag
Locations
- Germany