Günter Spang

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Günter Spang (born May 10, 1926 in Mannheim ; † October 11, 2011 in Munich ) was a German writer who was best known as a children's and youth author.

Günter Spang (1996)

Life

Heinz Günther Johann Spang, the youngest child of a Catholic baker's family with a twin sister, initially grew up unmolested in Mannheim by National Socialism , but was called up for military service as a high school student at the age of 16 and stationed as an anti-aircraft helper in Latvia . At the age of 20 he returned from a Soviet captivity. After graduating from high school in Heidelberg (1947), he studied German and theater studies in Heidelberg, Mainz and then in Munich with Artur Kutscher .

Even as a student he wrote for daily newspapers such as Mannheimer Morgen . His dissertation on Schiller's time at the Mannheim Theater remained unfinished, however, as he devoted himself entirely to writing after the publication of his first novel The Millionaire in the Soap Bubble in 1953 - with the kind support of the Munich publisher Heinrich Ellermann .

In addition to books for children and young people, which have also been translated into numerous languages, he also wrote satires, short stories and short stories for adults, appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines ( Die Zeit , FAZ , SZ , Simplizissimus , Pardon ) and several anthologies . He also wrote many articles for radio and television.

In his first marriage (1957–1963) he was with the Goethe Institute lecturer Dr. Renata Spang, b. Mustard married and had a daughter: Elisabeth (* 1960). For more than thirty years since 1972 he was in a relationship with the commercial clerk Almut Wichmann († 2003). Günter Spang died on October 11, 2011 in Munich .

His daughter Elisabeth Spang also works as a freelance editor and translator from English in the field of children's and youth literature . She has been managing the copyrights to Günter Spang's works since 2008.

The estate of Günter Spang (consisting of private and professional correspondence - also with other authors such as Janosch and Christine Nöstlinger -, personal documents and photographs, original manuscripts, notes and the extensive late work of unpublished rabbit stories) was transferred to the International Youth Library in Munich and can be viewed there if you are interested.

effect

As a children's book author, Spang succeeds Erich Kästner and, above all, wanted to entertain his child readers in a fun way. He liked to work with grotesque satirical exaggeration and fantastic means. The mixture of fantasy and reality that is typical of his works is particularly evident in the novel Der gläserne Heinrich (1972).

Reviewers praise Günter Spang's books above all for original ideas, humor and comedy, as well as the simple and child-friendly language.

Many of Günter Spang's books address socially critical and emancipatory topics, for example Mr. Groß goes into town , or whoever steals water falls into it himself . The works The Adventures of the Little Girl with Her Aunt and A Devil Called Fidibus belong to the so-called anti-authoritarian children's books. In his works, Spang unobtrusively stimulates thought through the humorous portrayal of the questionable nature of human life and behavior and gives the reader insights into realizing more freedom and a better life.

Publications (selection)

  • The millionaire in the soap bubble. Verlag Heinrich Ellermann, 1953 (new edition 1968, German version 1973), English-American edition The Soap Bubble Millionaire , Verlag Abelard-Schuman, London, New York, Toronto 1962
  • Lohengrin knows something. Heinrich Ellermann publishing house, 1954
  • A horse goes to the hotel. Erich Schmidt Verlag, Bielefeld 1956 ( The Horse in the Hotel , Abelard-Schuman, London, New York, Toronto 1963)
  • Little king - really big. With pictures by Ulrik Schramm, Verlag Carl Ueberreuter, Vienna-Heidelberg 1959
  • Theodolinde, the kangaroo. With pictures by Beatrice Braun-Fock, Obpacher Verlag, 1960 (as a television drawing story on Bayerischer Rundfunk TV 1961; new edition with the title Linda, the Kangaroo with pictures by FJ Tripp , Sellier Verlag 1970)
  • The little tram. With pictures by Hans and Ruth Albitz, Hans E. Günther Verlag, 1961
  • Williwack. The adventures of a penguin who loves to travel. 1961, two-part television sign story of the Südwestfunk, several new editions
  • Amadeus, the flea. With pictures by Gerhard Hotop, Munich picture book publisher H. Wartelsteiner, 1961
  • Clelia and the little mermaid. With pictures by Pepperl Ott, Obpacher Verlag 1962 ( Clelia and the Little Mermaid , Verlag Abelard-Schuman, London, New York, Toronto 1967/68, television drawing history of the Hessischer Rundfunk)
  • Felicitas and her ghost. With pictures by Christa Kemper, Munich picture book publisher, 1962
  • The house on Sunflower Street. With pictures by FJ Tripp , Engelbert-Verlag, 1962 ( The House in Sunflower Street , Oxford University Press, London 1963, New York 1964, television drawing history of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk)
  • Captain Bommel and the sea serpent. With pictures by Beatrice Braun-Fock, Gerhard Stalling Verlag 1962 (new edition Thieneman-Esslinger Verlag, 2019)
  • Gockelgockel. Illustrated by Lilo Fromm , Thienemann Verlag, 1962
  • The girl from the advertising pillar. Thienemann Verlag, 1963
  • Today Gottlieb is playing fabulous. With pictures by FJ Tripp , Thienemann Verlag, 1963
  • Sabine and the butterflies. With pictures by Elisabeth Segieth, Obpacher Verlag, 1963
  • The little girl's wondrous adventures with her aunt. l llustriert of Isolde Schmitt-Menzel , Atlantis Verlag, 1965
  • Strong Jonathan. With pictures by FJ Tripp , Engelbert Verlag, 1964
  • Good uncle Fabian. With pictures by Ulrik Schramm, Herder Verlag, 1965
  • Hocus pocus penguin. With pictures by Friedrich Kohlsaat, Sellier Verlag, 1967 (several new editions by Meisinger Verlag)
  • Ferdi and Ferdinand. With pictures by Beate Rose, Sellier Verlag, 1968
  • Markus and Kathrinchen. Georg Bitter Verlag, 1969
  • A devil named Fidibus. With pictures by Werner Klemke, Parabel Verlag, 1970; Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin GDR, 1970 and 1984 (English An Imp called Peregrine , Frederick Warne & Co, London 1972, translated into Czechoslovakian, adaptation: Czechoslovakian animation 1979/80 and DEFA-Puppenfilm Berlin)
  • The rooster and his master Theobald. With pictures by Isolde Schmitt-Menzel , Otto Maier Ravensburg, 1971
  • The little Tatzelwurm. Herold-Verlag, 1971
  • Kalinka, from the chicken that lays golden eggs. Signal Verlag 1972, dtv, 1978
  • Anyone who steals water falls into it with pictures by Marta Koci, Parabel Verlag, 1973
  • Mr. Gross is going into town. With pictures by Friedrich Kohlsaat, Thienemann Verlag, 1973 (list of the best for the German Youth Literature Prize, TV character history NDR 1975 and BR 1976)
  • Kossik - the Gemskitz. With pictures by Józef Wilkoń , Parabel Verlag, 1973
  • The wonderful vacation trip. Fackelträger Verlag, 1974 (television drawing history of the NDR)
  • Wolf children. With pictures by Józef Wilkoń . Parabel Verlag, 1975
  • Ox and donkey - With pictures by Isolde Schmitt-Menzel , Echter Verlag, 1975
  • Mr. Blue from Blaubeuren makes blue. With pictures by Ursel Maiorana, Parabel Verlag, 1976,
  • Francis and the Wolf. With pictures by Isolde Schmitt-Menzel , Echter Verlag, 1976
  • The horse in school. With pictures by Uta Hinze, Annette Betz Verlag, 1978 (best list of the Critici in Erba , Bologna 1979)
  • My Uncle Theodor or How to make a lot of money in your sleep . Herrmann Schaffstein Verlag, 1974 (filmed in 1975 by Gustav Ehmck with, among others, Gert Fröbe and Barbara Rütting )
  • The crocodile in the bottle. Otto Maier, Ravensburg, 1976
  • Who needs who With pictures by Wilfried Blecher, Sellier Verlag, 1979
  • A nice mess - a confusion book, dtv, 1980
  • Wummauwamm is in town . With pictures by Wilfried Blecher, Fabula Verlag, 1980
  • You confused August so much that he is wrong again. With pictures by Wilfried Blecher, Fabula Verlag, 1980
  • The dreamed mouse - stories to read and read aloud. Herder Verlag, 1983
  • Mobbelbaum roams the city until he has you by his collar. With pictures by Wilfried Blecher, Fabula Verlag, 1985
  • Come to the pond. With pictures by Wilfried Blecher, Sellier Verlag, 1987
  • Mr. Flupp and his seven ducks. With pictures by Gabriele Hafermas, Neuer Finken Verlag, 1990
  • Ox and donkey. Christmas story with pictures by Loek Koopmanns, Nord-Süd-Verlag 2001 and 2004
  • Williwack. Thienemann Verlag, 1998/99
  • Clementine with the wand. Thienemann Verlag, 1998/99
  • A devil named Fidibus . Illustrated by Werner Klemke , Beltz Verlag / Der Kinderbuchverlag, 2004 and 2014 (according to the author, one of his favorite books)

Honors

  • 1969: Tukan Prize of the City of Munich for Literature.
  • 1974: Best list of the German Youth Book Prize Herr Groß goes into town
  • 1979: Best list of the Critici in Erba, Bologna The horse in school
  • 1984: AWMM Book Prize (Working Group for Advertising, Market and Opinion Research, Buchs, Switzerland) for you confused August so much that he is wrong again
  • 2003: Honorary salary of the Free State of Bavaria for earned older artists

literature

  • Karl-Heinz Klimmer: "Fantasy and Reality" about Günter Spang, in: Das Gute Jugendbuch 3, 1972
  • Prof. Dr. Hans Gärtner: Günter Spang, in: Lexicon of Children's and Youth Literature, ed. by Klaus Doderer, Volume Three, P – Z, 1979, 1984
  • Günter Spang: A children's book author about himself, Welt und Wort 27/3, 1972, pp. 125–127.
  • Günter Spang in: Authors Remember, Duisburg City Library

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Elisabeth Spang In: Frauenwiki-dresden.de, accessed on August 23, 2018
  2. ↑ Fridtjof Küchemann: Picture book classic: That can't shake a sailor . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed August 13, 2020]).
  3. ↑ Please turn the pages! Who is behind children's books? Portraits from the Munich children's book scene, published by the cultural department of the City of Munich
personal data
SURNAME Spang, Günter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer
DATE OF BIRTH May 10, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Mannheim
DATE OF DEATH October 11, 2011
Place of death Munich