Günter Simon (born Großbaudis, Liegnitz 6 May 1933) is a German journalist. Between 1981 and 1989 he was chief editor of ', the weekly newspaper of the

Free German Trade Union Federation The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organis ...

Life

Early years

Born the son of an agricultural worker in

Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...

, Simon received an education that included lower, middle and upper schools, successfully obtaining his '' Abitur''. By this time the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

had come into being, based on what had previously been the

Soviet occupation zone The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a ...

. The frontier dividing Germany from Poland had moved west, and Simon was among the millions of Germans who had been relocated as part of the process. He joined East Germany's ruling SED (party) in 1950. He studied Journalism at

Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...

between 1952 and 1955, emerging with a university-level qualification in journalism.

The journalist

He served an apprenticeship with the newspaper ''Neuer Tag'' in

Frankfurt an der Oder Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

during 1954/55 before taking a position as a junior editor and foreign news section leader for ''Tribüne'', the weekly newspaper of the

(FDGB): between 1963 and 1967 he served as a member of ''Tribüne''s editorial collective. In 1967 Simon was appointed deputy chief editor of ''Tribüne''. In 1975 he was sent to become the ''Tribüne''s

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

correspondent before returning to his position of deputy chief editor, which was now combined with the "Chief Editor for Trades Union Life" position. On 15 September, he was appointed chief editor of ''Tribüne'', in succession to Claus Friedrich, remaining in the post till 1989. On 23 September 1981, he was co-opted for the 14th session of the

FDGB The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organis ...

executive committee and elected to membership of its presidium,''Tribüne'' of 24 September 1981 another function which he retained till 1989.

Awards

* Fritz Heckert Medal (1967) * Journalists' Prize of the Free German Trade Union Federation (1973) *

Patriotic Order of Merit The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

(''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'') in Silver (1977) * Hermann Duncker Medal (1985)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Gunter German newspaper journalists German reporters and correspondents German male journalists German trade unionists Socialist Unity Party of Germany members German newspaper editors East German journalists Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit 1933 births Living people German male writers People from Jawor County People from the Province of Silesia 20th-century German journalists 21st-century German journalists