Hellmuth Karasek

Hellmuth Karasek (1934–2015), born in Brno in Moravia, was a journalist, literary critic, and author. For more than twenty years, he headed the cultural section of the news magazine Der Spiegel. He was also co-editor of the Berliner Tagesspiegel and wrote for Die Welt and Die Welt am Sonntag. He became widely known to audiences as a member of the television literary program “Das Literarische Quartett.” His many books include the biography Billy Wilder. Eine Nahaufnahme (1992), Go West! Eine Biographie der fünfziger Jahre (1996), the novels Das Magazin (1998) and Betrug (2001), his memoir Auf der Flucht (2004), and Süßer Vogel Jugend oder Der Abend wirft längere Schatten (2006). Karasek died on September 29, 2015.