Foto (Ausschnitt): picture alliance / dpa | Goebel
Erich Kästner
(born: 23.02.1899 in Dresden; died: 29.07.1974 in Munich), Author
Erich Kästner undertook teacher training and studied History, Philosophy, German and Theatre Studies in Leipzig. He financed his studies with contributions for the feature pages of the Neue Leipziger Zeitung newspaper. After completing his doctorate, he wrote poems, reviews and other texts for various Berlin newspapers and magazines. In 1928, his first book appeared with the book of poems Herz auf Taille. The widely translated children's book classic Emil and the detectives followed a year later. He also had great success with other children's books: Anna Louise and Anton (1931), The Flying Classroom (1933) and Lottie and Lisa (1949). Erich Kästner was one of the authors whose often socio-critical works were publicly burned under the National Socialists. He was honoured with numerous awards such as the Georg Büchner Prize, the German Film Award and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.