At the age of 93: writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger died

He was one of the most important German poets: the writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger is dead. He died yesterday at the age of 93, Suhrkamp Verlag announced.

The writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger is dead. He died on Thursday in Munich at the age of 93, as the Suhrkamp publishing house in Berlin announced, citing the family. Enzensberger was one of the most important poets and intellectuals in Germany. Alongside Günter Grass, Martin Walser, Uwe Johnson and Heinrich Böll, Enzensberger, who was born on November 11, 1929 in Kaufbeuren in the Allgäu, was one of the most influential authors of post-war German literature. He was involved in the legendary literature club “Gruppe 47” and with the rebellious 1968ers.

One of his memoirs with the meaningful title “Tumult” provides information about his time in the extra-parliamentary opposition (APO). During this time he also founded the culture magazine “Course Book” in 1965. Enzensberger tried many things: He was a publisher’s editor at Suhrkamp in Frankfurt, spent some time in socialist Cuba, lived in Norway, Italy, Mexico, the USA and West Berlin and finally came to Munich in 1979.

Already caused a stir with the first volume of poetry

Enzensberger wrote novels, essays, anecdotes and memoirs as well as dramas, such as “The Titanic”, directed by George Tabori in 1980. He also dedicated books to young people, such as “Always the Money: A Small Business Novel” or “Poetry is annoying”.

He had already caused a stir with his first volume of poetry, “Defense of the Wolves” from 1957. The fact that Enzensberger never got tired as he got older was shown in his 2019 book “Fallobst”, in which he thinks about migration, among other things.

“Independent thinker, argumentative voice”

Carl Hanser Verlag declared that “with him we are losing an independent thinker, a combative voice and one of the most renowned writers in German literature since 1945”. In addition to his many influential books for adults, which were published by Suhrkamp Verlag, the children’s rhyme collection “Allerleirauh”, which he first published in 1961, became well known, it was said.

The children’s book “The Number Devil”, published in 1997 and translated into 34 languages, also brought him success.

Roth: “Overwhelming life’s work”

Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth praised Enzensberger as “one of the most versatile and important German intellectuals”. He left an overwhelming life’s work, which includes numerous poems and essays, but also children’s books, dramas, specialist articles on mathematics and political statements.

“Hans Magnus Enzensberger was a solitaire among Germany’s poets and thinkers. With his verses and critical reflections, he accompanied the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, whose founding on the rubble of a devastated country he witnessed at the age of 20,” says Roth.