“today’s Journal”
Claus Kleber leaves – Gundula Gause says goodbye to the “TV man” at her side
Claus Kleber and Gundula Gause in the “heute journal” studio
© Klaus Weddig / ZDF
Claus Kleber leaves the “heute journal”. Today, December 30th, he will host the show for the last time in almost two decades. The ZDF says goodbye. And Gundula Gause also says goodbye to the “TV man” at her side.
“The mood is strange here.” This is what Wulf Schmiese, head of “heute journal”, wrote in the update this morning on this Thursday. “Only now do we become aware of what has been announced for a long time.” Claus Kleber leaves. After almost two decades, the 66-year-old stops working at “heute journal”.
They had largely ignored this farewell and, as always, had a routine conference, the message goes on to say. It is a great pleasure to work “with Claus”. “Until the last minute of broadcast.” It will start late this evening. The last “heute journal” with Claus Kleber on December 30th starts at 9:45 pm. The presenter can now look back on almost 3000 programs in the format. He came to “heute journal” in 2003. The ZDF has the consequence of his first moderation fetched from the archive. At that time, Gerhard Schröder was still Chancellor, and the SPD was not doing well.
The entire Merkel era lies between the beginning and the end of Claus Kleber’s time at “heute journal”. The co-moderation, however, remained unchanged. Claus Kleber was already in the studio with Gundula Gause on his first broadcast.
Gundula Gause suggested the first meeting with Claus Kleber in the “traditional pub in Mainz”
Gundula Gause also said goodbye to Claus Kleber in public today. “The TV man by my side” is the name of a text to say goodbye to her ZDF published. She writes of “big footsteps” that Wolf von Lojewski left in 2003. “The editors of ‘heute journal’ wondered which of the rumored journalists could fill them out.” It became Claus Kleber, who was greeted with “respectful curiosity”. “He came from the ARD, had extensive experience abroad in Washington and London – and some people wondered whether this was the ideal mix for the Mainz Lerchenberg.”
Gundula Gause wanted to get to know the co-moderator and suggested “a traditional Mainz bar for the first mutual sniff”. At the first meeting, she said she was “an equally educated, experienced and highly present journalistic professional”, “who was well aware of the potential pitfalls of a new professional position for that very reason”.
As an anchorman, Claus Kleber is in his element. Gause emphasizes the high quality standards that her colleague demands under all circumstances. “He expects the commitment and the bite that he himself shows from others as well. Average is an abomination to him.” In essence, he is not just the shoulder-pounding, jovial buddy type, but the always somewhat distant intellectual with high demands on himself and others. “It was a good time,” writes Gundula Gause at the end of her text. At the end, “the TV woman by your side” says “Thank you” with a wink.
Sources: ZDF