Hellmuth Karasek

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Hellmuth Karasek

Hellmuth Karasek (4 January 1934 – 29 September 2015) was a German journalist, literary critic, and novelist. Born in Brno, then part of Czechoslovakia, his family fled during World War II and eventually settled in Germany. He studied history, German, and English at the University of Tübingen before starting a career in journalism.

Career highlights
- In 1968, Karasek became the theatre critic for Die Zeit.
- From 1974 to 1996, he wrote for Der Spiegel, where he served as the chief editor of the feuilleton (the culture section).
- He also contributed to Die Welt, Bild, Berliner Morgenpost, and Der Tagesspiegel, among others.
- He published more than 20 books on literature and film, including monographs on Max Frisch, Bertolt Brecht, and Billy Wilder.
- He wrote several works under the pen name Daniel Doppler and translated Raymond Chandler’s The Lady in the Lake.

Public recognition
- Karasek was best known to television audiences as a longtime member of Das Literarische Quartett (The Literary Quartet), a TV show about literature, alongside Marcel Reich-Ranicki. The program ran from 1988 to 2001.
- He also appeared on other TV programs and served as a juror at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival.

Awards
- Theodor Wolff Prize (1973–74)
- Bavarian TV Award (1991)
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1994)

Personal life and death
- Karasek had four children, and his nephew is Thomas Mars.
- He died in Hamburg in 2015 at the age of 81.