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Fritz Pleitgen

Fritz Ferdinand Pleitgen (21 March 1938 – 15 September 2022) was a German television journalist and author. He was correspondent in Moscow, East Berlin and Washington. Pleitgen was a supporter of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik. In 1988, Pleitgen became editor-in-chief of television of Germany's then-largest public broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), and was director of WDR from 1995 to 2007. He is regarded as one of the most influential German journalists and media makers. In 2010, he was the manager of Ruhr.2010, a project of European Capital of Culture.

Fritz Pleitgen
Pleitgen in 2007
Born(1938-03-21)21 March 1938
Duisburg-Meiderich, German Reich
Died15 September 2022(2022-09-15) (aged 84)
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • Broadcasting director
  • Author
OrganizationsWestdeutscher Rundfunk
Spouse
Gerda Lichtenberg
​
(m. 1969)​
Children4, including Frederik
Awards

Life and career

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Pleitgen was born in Duisburg-Meiderich[1] on 21 March 1938,[2] the fifth child of a technical draftsman working at Krupp.[3] He grew up in Bünde in East Westphalia[4] and left high school without completing his programme, because he was already working for the Bünde local editorial office of Bielefeld's Freie Presse [de] as a sports and court reporter.[4] In 1961, he volunteered to become an editor.[4]

In 1963, Pleitgen began working as a journalist at the German broadcaster WDR;[4] he started as a reporter for Tagesschau.[2] His duties included reporting from Brussels and Paris covering the European Economic Community and NATO. In 1967, he broadcast from the Middle East on the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours.[5] From 1970, Pleitgen reported as ARD's foreign correspondent from Moscow, where he accompanied Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on trips abroad.[4] Without his own camera crew, he needed approval from the Soviet Foreign Ministry for almost all reports.[6] Under constant KGB surveillance,[7] he was the first Western journalist to have an interview with the General Secretary of the Communist Party.[8] He also established contacts with dissidents like Andrei Sakharov,[9] Lev Kopelev, Yuri Orlov, and Andrei Amalrik.[4][10] From 1977, Pleitgen served as correspondent in East Berlin,[4] but his work was restricted by the Stasi.[4] His predecessor was expelled from the GDR.[11] Erich Honecker invited Pleitgen to hunt rabbits in 1981,[12] in contrast Pleitgen was also in contact with the dissidents Stefan Heym,[13][14] and Robert Havemann.[10][15] From 1982, he reported as ARD studio chief from Washington and New York and excelled in critical reporting on Ronald Reagan.[4]

In 1988, director of WDR Friedrich Nowottny called Pleitgen back to the parent company in Germany to be editor-in-chief of WDR television in Cologne, and in 1994 he became director of radio.[16][17] He moderated for ARD television Weltspiegel [de],[18] ARD-Brennpunkt [de], and Presseclub.[2] Known for his work during the Cold War, he became the television face of reunification.[10] Pleitgen was director of the WDR from 1995 to 2007,[a] succeeding his former boss Nowottny;[4] from 2001 to 2002, he was chairman of the ARD.[20] His motto was "Durch Qualität zur Quote" (through quality to ratings).[21] He played a key role in the launch of the event and documentary channel Phoenix.[17][22] One of his tasks was the establishment of regional studios.[23] During his tenure, the surreptitious advertising scandal occurred.[24] From 2006 to 2008, he was head of the European Broadcasting Union.[17]

 
Pleitgen in 2010

After leaving WDR in 2007, Pleitgen took over the management of the European Capital of Culture 2010 project in Essen (Ruhr.2010)[25] and officially retired in 2010.[10] He took moral responsibility for the Love Parade disaster.[8]

Considered one of the most influential German journalists and media makers,[2] Pleitgen interviewed Ronald Reagan, Erich Honecker, Egon Krenz, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Helmut Kohl.[26][27][28]

Political views

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Pleitgen appreciated the value of a free press, because of his own experiences with censorship in totalitarian states.[6] According to Pleitgen, the German broadcaster ARD had features of a state media in the early years, but emancipated later.[29]

Pleitgen was a supporter of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik[26] and in conflict with the Christian Social Union in Bavaria.[29]

In 2019, he criticised the homogeneous reporting and warned of the decay of democracy.[29] He stated in May 2021, that a concept for a policy with Russia is missing, Russians are Europeans.[30] In March 2022, he admitted to having underestimated the danger posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.[30]

Activities

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Personal life

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In 1969, Pleitgen married Gerda Lichtenberg;[39][40] the couple had four children.[41] One of his sons is journalist Frederik Pleitgen.[41]

Pleitgen lived in Bergisch Gladbach.[41] In 2020, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,[39] and died on 15 September 2022 in Cologne at the age of 84.[42]

Works

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  • Pleitgen, Fritz (2000). Der Sport im Fernsehen (in German). Cologne, Germany. ISBN 978-3-934156-16-6. OCLC 247672497.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Biermann, Wolf; Pleitgen, Fritz (2001). Die Ausbürgerung: Anfang vom Ende der DDR (in German). Berlin, Germany: Ullstein. ISBN 3-89834-044-9. OCLC 49936401.
  • Pleitgen, Fritz (2002). Durch den wilden Kaukasus (in German). Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ISBN 978-3-596-15274-2. OCLC 76326531.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Dittert, Annette; Pleitgen, Fritz (2005). Der stille Bug Reise durch ein zerissenes Land (in German). Berlin, Germany. ISBN 978-3-548-36739-2. OCLC 76602093.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Pleitgen, Fritz (2008). Väterchen Don der Fluss der Kosaken (in German). Cologne, Germany. ISBN 978-3-462-04046-3. OCLC 297579007.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Pleitgen, Fritz; Schischkin, Michail (2019). Frieden oder Krieg Russland und der Westen – eine Annäherung (in German). Munich, Germany: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag München. ISBN 978-3-453-60581-7. OCLC 1204398549.
  • Pleitgen, Fritz (2021). Eine unmögliche Geschichte als Politik und Bürger Berge versetzten (in German). Freiburg, Germany. ISBN 978-3-451-39053-1. OCLC 1258120322.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ Pleitgen was also elected by the CDU representatives in the SPD-dominated WDR broadcasting council.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Niederrhein: Fritz Pleitgen: Von Meiderich in die Welt". RP Online (in German). 2010-08-10. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  2. ^ a b c d "Langjähriger WDR-Intendant: Journalist Fritz Pleitgen ist gestorben". FAZ.NET (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  3. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen". Munzinger Biographie (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Fritz Pleitgen ist tot: Lange Jahre WDR-Intendant". Der Spiegel (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  5. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen". Berühmte Journalisten (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  6. ^ a b Junginger, Bernhard (2021-05-26). "Wir sollten Menschen nicht unterschätzen". Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  7. ^ Anton, Corinna (2017-11-13). "Fritz Pleitgen: Als Moskau ein schlafender Riese war". Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  8. ^ a b "Ehemaliger WDR-Intendant Fritz Pleitgen gestorben". tagesschau.de (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  9. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen: Der Russland-Erklärer wird 80". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 2018-03-21. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  10. ^ a b c d "Gregor Gysi trifft Fritz Pleitgen". Deutsches Theater Berlin (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  11. ^ Schmalen, Lothar (2018-03-21). "Fritz Pleitgen ein Journalist aus Leidenschaft". Neue Westfälische (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  12. ^ "Buchbesprechung: Fritz Pleitgen, Eine unmögliche Geschichte – Als Politik und Bürger Berge versetzten". RheinPublik (in German). 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Daniel (2021-05-07). "Der Winter seines Missvergnügens". Der Hauptstadtbrief (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  14. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen: Zeitzeuge und Freund Stefan Heyms". Internationale Stefan-Heym-Gesellschaft (in German). 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  15. ^ "Medien: "Das wäre Kapitulation gewesen"". Tagesspiegel (in German). 2002-09-18. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  16. ^ ""Mr. WDR"". tagesschau.de (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  17. ^ a b c "Früherer WDR-Intendant und Journalist Fritz Pleitgen mit 84 Jahren gestorben". stern.de (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  18. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen Rastlos – Gelassen WDR". Dr. Heribert Schwan (in German). 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  19. ^ "Wie ein Mercedes". Focus online (in German). 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  20. ^ "Langjähriger WDR-Intendant: Fritz Pleitgen mit 84 Jahren in Köln gestorben". amp.rundschau-online.de (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  21. ^ "Früherer WDR-Intendant Fritz Pleitgen gestorben". WDR (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  22. ^ "Start mit Gegenwind: Phoenix hat vor 20 Jahren abgehoben". fnp.de (in German). 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  23. ^ "Trauer um früheren WDR-Intendanten Fritz Pleitgen". BR24 (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  24. ^ "WDR-Intendant: "Schleichwerbung ist branchenüblich"". manager magazin (in German). 2005-07-04. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  25. ^ "Culture capital Ruhr insists high-brow makeover is more than skin-deep". DW Learn German. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  26. ^ a b c d Hanfeld, Michael (2022-09-16). "Zum Tod von Fritz Pleitgen: Das Vermächtnis des Weltreporters". FAZ.NET (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  27. ^ "Nachruf auf Fritz Pleitgen: Ein Kraftpaket aus dem Ruhrgebiet". Aktuelle News (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  28. ^ Sternburg, Wilhelm v. (2021-08-01). "Fritz Pleitgen: "Eine unmögliche Geschichte" – Historische Sekunden und ihr Reporter". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  29. ^ a b c "Ehemaliger WDR-Intendant im Interview: Fritz Pleitgen: "Die Meinungsvielfalt gerät in Gefahr"". Handelsblatt (in German). 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  30. ^ a b Meier, Christian (2022-09-16). "Nachruf auf Fritz Pleitgen: Auf der Suche nach dem "Wirklichkeitsfernsehen"". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  31. ^ a b "Pleitgen, Fritz". Hinstorff (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  32. ^ "Der Verein". Lew Kopelew Forum e.V. (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  33. ^ "Pleitgen tritt ab: Im April übernimmt Thomas Roth den Vorsitz des Lew Kopelew-Forums". Kölnische Rundschau (in German). 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  34. ^ "Prominentes Kuratorium für ROG". M – Menschen Machen Medien (ver.di) (in German). 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  35. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen: Das neue Gesicht der Krebshilfe". Deutsches Ärzteblatt (in German). 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  36. ^ "Stargeigerin neue Präsidentin der Deutschen Krebshilfe / Anne-Sophie Mutter tritt Nachfolge von Fritz Pleitgen an". presseportal.de (in German). 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  37. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen gestorben". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  38. ^ Laudatio Brost Ruhr Prize
  39. ^ a b "Fritz Pleitgen (†84): Der frühere WDR-Intendant ist tot". Goldene Kamera (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  40. ^ a b "Fritz Pleitgen". Biografie WHO'S WHO (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  41. ^ a b c "Im Alter von 84 Jahren: Früherer WDR-Intendant Fritz Pleitgen gestorben". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  42. ^ "Langjähriger WDR-Intendant: Fritz Pleitgen mit 84 Jahren in Köln gestorben". Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  43. ^ "Saure Gurke". Die Tageszeitung: Taz. 1995-12-07. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  44. ^ "Steckenpferd". Prinzengarde der Stadt Krefeld – Gemeinnütziger Traditionsverein seit 1914 (in German). 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  45. ^ "Pressemitteilung 46e/99". hwk-duesseldorf.de. Archived from the original on 2005-01-14. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  46. ^ a b c d e f "mehr zu Fritz Pleitgen: RUHR.2010". Home (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  47. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen mit dem Kulturpreis Deutscher Freimaurer ausgezeichnet – Laudatio von Helmut Thoma". presseportal.de (in German). 2004-05-22. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  48. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen erhält Kulturgroschen 2007 des Deutschen Kulturrates". verbaende.com (in German). 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  49. ^ "Fritz Pleitgen erhält Jecken-Preis". kress (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  50. ^ "Das "Goldene Lot" – VDVonline". Vdv-online.de. Archived from the original on 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  51. ^ "Brost-Ruhr-Preis für Fritz Pleitgen". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-16.

Further reading

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