Günter de Bruyn (; 1 November 1926 – 4 October 2020) was a German author.

Life

Günter de Bruyn was born in Berlin in November 1926; his father Carl was a Catholic from Bavaria. Günter served as a Luftwaffenhelfer and soldier in World War II. Wounded, he was then held in custody by the United States as a prisoner of war; after his release he found a job as a farm worker in Hesse. After his return to Berlin, he trained as a "new teacher" in Potsdam. Until 1949 he worked as a teacher in a village near Rathenow in Brandenburg. Subsequently, he trained as a librarian and worked at the ''Zentralinstitut für Bibliothekswesen'' (Central Institute for Library Knowledge) in

East Berlin East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as ...

from 1953 to 1961. Since 1961 de Bruyn has lived as a freelance writer. From 1965 to 1978, he was a member of the ''Zentralvorstandes des Schriftstellerverbandes der DDR'' (Central Executive Committee of the Literary Association of East Germany); he was a member of the presidency of the PEN Centre of East Germany from 1974 to 1982. In October 1989, Günter de Bruyn declined to accept the

National Prize of East Germany The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...

. De Bruyn later lived in the village of Görsdorf (part of the municipality of Tauche) in Brandenburg, as well as in Berlin. He was a member of the German PEN Centre. He died in October 2020 at the age of 93.Günther de Bruyn ist tot
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Literary activity

Günter de Bruyn's works range from the frequently autobiographically colored Realist

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

s and narratives which explain critiques of the private lives of the artists in East Germany to essays on literary science and historical themes, particularly Prussian history. He edited a series of works from 18th and 19th century authors in Berlin and Brandenburg, which appear under the title ''Märkischer Dichtergarten''. He had great success in the 1990s with the two volumes of his autobiography, ''Zwischenbilanz'' and ''Vierzig Jahre''.

Awards

* 1964

Heinrich Mann Prize The Heinrich Mann Prize () is an essay prize that has been awarded since 1953, first by the East German Academy of Arts, then by the Academy of Arts, Berlin. The prize, which comes with a €10,000 purse, is given annually on 27 March, Heinrich Ma ...

* 1981 Lion-Feuchtwanger-Preis * 1989 Thomas-Mann-Preis * 1990 Heinrich-Böll-Preis of the City of Cologne * 1991 Honorary degree of the University of Freiburg * 1993

Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste (in English: Literature Award of the Bavarian Academy of the Fine Arts) was a Bavarian literary prize by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste. In 2010, it merged with t ...

(Greater Literary Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) * 1994

Bundesverdienstkreuz The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

of Germany * 1996 Literary Prize of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation * 1996 Literary Prize of the state of Brandenburg * 1997

Jean-Paul Prize Jean-Paul-Preis is a Bavarian literary prize, awarded bi-annually by the Free State of Bavaria. It is named in honour of the German Romanticism, German Romantic writer Jean Paul. The prize money is €15,000. Recipients *1983 Hans Egon Holthuse ...

* 1999 Honorary degree of the Humboldt University of Berlin * 1999 Fontane Prize of the City of Neuruppin * 2000

Ernst-Robert-Curtius-Preis Ernst-Robert-Curtius-Preis was a German literary prize, named after the literary scholar Ernst Robert Curtius. It was founded in 1984, and recognizes outstanding essay writers. The prize was awarded until 2015 at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms- ...

for essays;

Friedrich-Schiedel-Literaturpreis Bad Wurzach (until 1950 Wurzach) is a small spa town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest bog spa (in German: ''Moorheilbad'') in Baden-Württemberg, as well ...

* 2005 Order of Merit of Brandenburg * 2006

Jacob Grimm German Language Prize Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Jacob in Islam, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel (name), Israel, is regarded as a Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religi ...

* 2007

Gleim Literary Prize Gleim may refer to: *Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (2 April 1719 – 18 February 1803) was a German poet, commonly associated with the Enlightenment movement. Life Gleim was born at the small town of Ermsleben in the ...

* 2007

Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize The Hanns Martin Schleyer Foundation (German: ''Hanns Martin Schleyer-Stiftung'') is a German Foundation (nonprofit), foundation that promotes research in economics, law and cultural sciences. It was established in 1977 by the Confederation of Ger ...

* 2008

Hoffmann von Fallersleben Prize The Hoffmann von Fallersleben Prize (german: Hoffmann-von-Fallersleben-Preis für zeitkritische Literatur) is an international literary award, awarded by the Hoffmann von Fallersleben Society (german: Hoffmann-von-Fallersleben-Gesellschaft) in me ...

* 2009 Max-Herrmann-Preis * 2011 Johann-Heinrich-Merck-Preis

Works

* ''Über die Arbeit in Freihandbibliotheken'', Berlin 1957 * ''Hochzeit in Weltzow'', Halle (Saale) 1960 * ''Wiedersehen an der Spree'', Halle (Saale) 1960 * ''Einführung in die Systematik für allgemeinbildende Bibliotheken'', Berlin 1961 * ''Der Hohlweg'', Halle (Saale) 1963 * ''Ein schwarzer, abgrundtiefer See'', Halle (Saale) 1963 * ''Maskeraden'', Halle (Saale) 1966 * ''Buridans Esel'', Halle (Saale) 1968 (first published in 1963 in «Sinn und Form») * ''Preisverleihung'', Halle (Saale) 1972 * ''Tristan und Isolde'', Berlin 1975 * ''Das Leben des Jean Paul Friedrich Richter'', Halle (Saale) 1975 * ''Märkische Forschungen'', Halle (Saale) et al. 1978 * ''Im Querschnitt'', Halle (Saale) et al. 1979 * ''Babylon'', Leipzig 1980 * ''Neue Herrlichkeit'', Frankfurt am Main 1984 * ''Lesefreuden'', Frankfurt am Main 1986 * ''Frauendienst'', Halle (Saale) et al. 1986 * ''Brandenburg'', München et al. 1991 (with Hauke Dressler) * ''Im Spreeland'', Freiburg im Breisgau 1991 (with Erhard Pansegrau) * ''Jubelschreie, Trauergesänge'', Frankfurt am Main 1991 * ''Zwischenbilanz'', Frankfurt am Main 1992 * ''Mein Brandenburg'', Frankfurt am Main 1993 (with Barbara Klemm) * ''Das erzählte Ich'', Frankfurt am Main 1995 * ''Was ich noch schreiben will'', Göttingen 1995 (with Ingo Hermann) * ''Irritation und Verstehen'', Stuttgart 1995 * ''Vierzig Jahre'', Frankfurt am Main 1996 * ''Altersbetrachtungen über den alten Fontane'', Berlin 1999 * ''Die Finckensteins'', Berlin 1999 * ''Deutsche Zustände'', Frankfurt am Main 1999 * ''Preußens Luise. Vom Entstehen und Vergehen einer Legende'', Berlin 2001 (on the legacy of

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie; 10 March 1776 – 19 July 1810) was Queen of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III. The couple's happy, though short-lived, marriage produced nine child ...

, Queen consort of Prussia) * ''Unzeitgemäßes'', Frankfurt am Main 2001 * ''Unter den Linden'', Berlin 2003 * ''Abseits. Liebeserklärungen an eine Landschaft. Mit Fotos von Rüdiger Südhoff'', Frankfurt am Main 2005 * ''Als Poesie gut. Schicksale aus Berlins Kunstepoche 1786 bis 1807''. Frankfurt am Main 2006 * ''Die Zeit der schweren Not: Schicksale aus dem Kulturleben Berlins 1807 bis 1815'', S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2010, . E-Book * ''Gräfin Elisa. Eine Lebens- und Liebesgeschichte'', S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2012, . E-Book

Editorial work

* ''Das Lästerkabinett'', Leipzig 1970 * Jean Paul: ''Leben des Quintus Fixlein'', Berlin 1976 * Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel: ''Über die Ehe'', Berlin 1979 * Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué: ''Ritter und Geister'', Berlin 1980 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) *

Friedrich Wilhelm August Schmidt Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...

: ''Einfalt und Natur'', Berlin 1981 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * Christoph Friedrich Nicolai: ''Vertraute Briefe von Adelheid B. an ihre Freundin Julie S. Freuden des jungen Werthers'', Berlin 1982 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * Ludwig Tieck: ''Die männliche Mutter und andere Liebes-,Lebens-, Spott- und Schauergeschichten'', Berlin 1983 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) *

Rahel Levin Rahel Antonie Friederike Varnhagen () (née Levin, later Robert; 19 May 1771 – 7 March 1833) was a German writer who hosted one of the most prominent salons in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She is the subject of a celeb ...

: ''Rahels erste Liebe'', Berlin 1985 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) *

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in ...

: ''Gespenster in der Friedrichstadt'', Berlin 1986 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * Theodor Fontane: ''Die schönsten Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg'', Berlin 1988 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * Friedrich August Ludwig von der Marwitz: ''Nachrichten aus meinem Leben'', Berlin 1989 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * ''Friedrichshagen und seine Dichter. Arkadien in Preußen'', Berlin 1992 (Märkischer Dichtergarten) * Moritz Heimann: ''Die Mark, wo sie am märkischsten ist'', Berlin 1996 (Märkischer Dichtergarten)

Film adaptations

* 1978: ''Hochzeit in Weltzow'' * 1980: ', based on ''Buridans Esel'' * 1981: ''Märkische Forschungen''

References

External links

Literature by and on Günter de Bruyn
in the catalog of the German National Library
Commentated Link Collection
by the University Library at the Free University of Berlin
Märkische Musenhöfe: Günter de Bruyn
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruyn, Gunter de 1926 births 2020 deaths Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany East German writers German male writers Luftwaffenhelfer Heinrich Mann Prize winners Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Writers from Berlin German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States German military personnel of World War II