Ulrich Wickert is Germany’s best-known journalist, not only because he shaped the “daily topics”. So far, on his 80th birthday, he knows how to amaze friends and strangers alike.
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Nils Minkmar
Among the many things the talented Mr. Wickert is capable of, there are few but notable exceptions: he doesn’t have a bad temper, holds no grudges, and he refuses to project an apocalyptic view of the future. Is this a natural gift or a philosophical exercise? Scientists need to take a closer look. Where sighing became the key medium of a society felt to be overburdened by crises, his voice is still noticeable today – be it in personal encounters or just on the phone – with high-spirited laughter and the enthusiastic exclamation “Ha!” when he hears something he likes .