Wibke Gertrud Bruhns (born Klamroth; 8 September 1938 – 20 June 2019) was a German journalist and author. In 1971, she was the first woman to present the news on German public television. She was a journalist for several television stations, and for the Stern magazine in Jerusalem and Washington, D.C. She was also a speaker at Expo 2000.
She wrote about her memories in three books: about her time as a correspondent in Israel, the biography of her father, Hans Georg Klamroth, who was executed by the Nazis, and her autobiography, covering political events of decades.
Career
Education
Wibke Gertrud Klamroth was born in
Halberstadt, one of five children of the merchant Hans Georg Klamroth and his wife Else, née
Podeus. Her father knew of the 20 July plot to assassinate
Adolf Hitler and was executed on 26 August 1944.
Her mother had to raise the children alone.
[Wibke Bruhns: Meines Vaters Land; p. 158, Econ Verlag, 2004, ]
Bruhns attended several boarding schools, including the Bugenhagen-Internat in Timmendorfer Strand, and a boarding school in Plön. She achieved her Abitur in Berlin. She then lived for half a year in London, where her mother worked in the German Embassy. She then attended a Handelsschule for one year.[Wibke Bruhns: Nachrichtenzeit, pp. 30, 44, 51, 62.] She started to study history and politology in Hamburg but did not complete the course.[Wibke Bruhns: Nachrichtenzeit, p. 65.]
Media
Bruhns began work in the media at age 22, for different television stations, newspapers and magazines. She became known as the first female news presenter in West German television, as moderator of the
ZDF news program
heute from 12 May 1971.
She was a journalist for the
Stern magazine in Jerusalem and Washington, D.C.
Bruhns lived as a freelance journalist in Berlin.
Publications
Journalism
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Trendwende im Nahost in: Stern, 12 February 1981, No. 8, p. 238.
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Die letzten Tage von Beirut in: Stern, 5 August 1982, No. 36, p. 106.
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Exodus in eine fremde Heimat. Rußland-Emigranten in Israel (with photos by Thomas Hegenbart) in: GEO, Hamburg, April 1992, pp. 88–104.
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Als sich das ZDF etwas traute in: Die Zeit, 28 May 2009
Literature
In her first book,
Mein Jerusalem, published in 1982, Bruhns focused on her experiences as a correspondent for
Stern in Israel. Her second book,
Meines Vaters Land (
My Father's Country), is her father's
biography, based on letters between him and his father as well as family pictures to illustrate.
Published in 2004, the book spawned much discussion. It was translated to English in 2007 and published in 2008.
Her third book,
Nachrichtenzeit (News time) is an autobiography, covering both private and professional life, touching political developments of decades.
Other
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Ich bekomme ein Kind (with Ursula Klamroth), Falken-Verlag Erich Sicker, Wiesbaden 1969.
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In aller Munde: Fremdwörter. 1000 Begriffe, die uns täglich begegnen Schwann, Düsseldorf 1972.
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Film
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Meines Vaters Land – Eine deutsche Familiengeschichte, documentary, 45 minutes, book and direction: Gabriele Conradt and Gabriele Dennecke, production: RBB, first airing: 3 January 2007
Awards
External links
