Karl Bongardt

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Karl Bongardt (born November 9, 1925 in Erfurt ; † April 7, 2009 in Berlin ) was a German librarian, journalist, editor-in-chief and publicist.

Live and act

Before Bongardt found the center of life in (East) Berlin as an editor / journalist, lecturer and publicist with his wife Ilse, who later became a columnist for the daily newspaper Neue Zeit , and their two daughters, he worked in Arnstadt and Erfurt as a librarian as well as in Leipzig as a research assistant at the training center for librarians in the former GDR . Karl Bongardt was born into a Catholic family in Thuringia, which shaped his later professional and private life decisively. After returning home in June 1945 as a former Wehrmacht soldier, he was able to replace the secondary school diploma , which he had taken at the age of 17 during World War II , with a full maturity examination at the state " Thomas-Müntzer-Gymnasium ". On the advice of his father and following his example, he joined the CDU in April 1946. He was also entrusted with the management of the "Working Group on Literature" and the honorary function of 1st chairman in the district management of the Kulturbund . At the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena , however, his application to study was rejected on the grounds that he was from a middle-class background. In the building complex of the Ernst-Abbe-Bücherei under the sponsorship of the Jena University there was a part of the Alma Mater, the "University Teaching Institute for Books and Libraries" from 1946 to 1952, also called "People's Librarian School Jena" for short the post-war high school graduate was admitted. At the same time he heard some lectures at the university in German, art history and philosophy. He was able to successfully complete his training as a “qualified librarian” in 1949. The CDU cultural politician Günter Wirth became aware of Bongardt when he made a contribution to a party conference and took part as a delegate at the 8th CDU party congress from September 12 to 15, 1958 in Weimar .

Senior employee for the daily newspaper "Neue Zeit" and in a CDU book publisher

In July 1959 he was appointed head of the culture department of Neue Zeit and five years later, in 1964, together with Dieter Eberle , one of the two deputy editors-in-chief of this CDU newspaper under editor-in-chief Hermann Kalb . In 1972 Bongardt , who had been appointed head editor for fiction and art literature at Union Verlag Berlin in the previous year, was elected to the main board of the Eastern CDU and worked there in the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kultur". He previously exercised honorary party functions as deputy district chairman in Leipzig-Stadt and then as local group chairman in Berlin-Grünau from 1972 to 1982. He resigned his honorary posts after his early retirement (invalidity). Occasionally, as a disability pensioner , he worked as a freelance journalist, especially for the daily newspaper Neue Zeit and for the "Union Verlag Berlin". For example, in 1993 he reported on the annual meeting of the Reinhold Schneider Society and in 1994 on events of the Guardini Foundation , in particular on German-Polish meetings of writers and literary scholars.

Life maxim

The quote from Ernst von Wildenbruch : "Whoever serves the book serves the spirit, whoever serves the spirit serves the world", Bongardt chose for himself "as a kind of maxim of life". An encounter with Reinhold Schneider in 1942 influenced the chosen guideline. Bongardt showed the Catholic poet in Freiburg im Breisgau his first lyrical texts, which encouraged him to pursue a future career path that “should best lead to a large publishing house”, “to learn from the bottom up and learn the world step by step to win life ”.

Author or editor (selection)

a) Author (selection):

  • Mary's thanks to Joseph. [Poem:] Based on the sculpture "Rest on the Flight" by Ernst Barlach . In: Rostin, Gerhard (ed.): A star is drawn. A Christmas Book , 1961; P. 80 DNB 451169921 and ends with the verse: “We do not fear the hardship of the times / and not people's ridicule. ... "
  • Everything and every one a sign. Poems , 1980; DNB 800449940 .
  • Wide spiritual life opened up. Thoughts on a new beginning [1945] 40 years ago
  • Reinhold Schneider's "Winter in Vienna"

b) Editor (selection):

  • Companions on a common path. Pictures of the life and work of Christian democrats in the GDR , 1973 [Contains among other things: Rich experiences and critical spirit. Conversation with the Leipzig Thomaskantor Hans-Joachim Rotzsch by Georg Antosch, theater critic for Neue Zeit (Berlin), Die Union (Leipzig), Der Neue Weg (Halle); Dance music where the asparagus grows. Graduate teacher with an unusual hobby: Ulrich Henrici from Barbara Faensen; House music to end the day. Composer and music educator Ruth Bodenstein-Hoyme from Ilse Bongardt, the editor's wife.]
  • Manhunt. 22 authors about themselves , [With an afterword by Karl Bongardt], 1975; DNB 750386258
  • Immutable characteristics. Selected short stories and poems [by the writer Eva Zeller ], 1983; DNB 840452624 ;
  • To keep the core. Poems in Selection , 2000, 2nd edition; DNB 1070925365
  • Stefan Andres , 1990; ISBN 3-372-00354-3 ( Christ in the World series , issue 72).
  • Castle over the Unstrut. Castle divisions past and present , 1986; DNB 871290871
  • The Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi [with photographs by Clemens Kaminski], 1989; ISBN 978-3-372-00217-9 .

c) Reviews (selection)

As a librarian, Bongart wrote book reviews for the New Age :

d) Expert activity

Even as deputy editor-in-chief of Neue Zeit , Bongardt wrote part-time reports on the receipt of printing permission from the GDR Ministry of Culture , in particular its publishing and book trade headquarters , for the planned publication of titles by the CDU book publisher "Union Verlag Berlin". For example, he wrote the so-called external report on The Friendship of Kockelburg and other stories by Erwin Wittstock , while the editor's report was produced by Johannes Bobrowski . Bongardt's work as later chief editor then also included the preparation of publisher reports. As chief editor, Bongardt had made some content-related "corrections" to the manuscripts for the publishing project entitled "Fahndungen", for which he was intended as editor. He reported his edits to the “Headquarters of the publishing and book trade” and hoped that “nothing would now stand in the way of the printing permit”. Previously, he had prepared the publisher's report for the "joint performance of fiction authors" of Union Verlag together with two "external reports" at this head office. a. by the politician Gerhard Fischer .

e) Correspondence (selection)

  • Letter to the writer Reinhold Schneider , 1942
  • Letters to the sculptor and medalist Georg Kolbe from October 1946 and August 1947, the latter containing a "reference to the publication of the poem Aus Traum und Früh zu dir spoken by Karl Bongardt, which was inspired by Kolbe's sculpture Adagio ".
  • Letter to the art historian Werner Schmidt from June 1978
  • Letter to the writer Henryk Bereska from March 1982 to the painter, graphic artist and publicist Herbert Tucholski 

Lectures (selection)

In 2000/2001 he and Gisela Falk gave lectures on the poets Rainer Maria Rilke , Hanns Cibulka , Else Lasker-Schüler , Erich Kästner , Hermann as part of the “literary lesson” organized by the adult education center in the district where he lives Hesse and Kurt Tucholsky .

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The family's obituary in: Berliner Zeitung , 25./26. April 2009, p. 14
  2. ↑ Around 1961, Bongardt was still living near Berlin, namely in Kleinmachnow, according to the editor and editor Gerhard Rostin in: A star is coming. A Christmas book , 1961, DNB 451169921 , p. 253
  3. ^ Neue Zeit, March 1, 1959, p. 2
  4. ↑ According to the address books for Erfurt from 1924, Part III, Resident Directory, there lived a "Bongardt, Gisbert, Prokurist", included in other editions with the professional activity information "Officials", DFG Viewer: Edition 1924, p. 35, column 3
  5. ↑ Neue Zeit, May 7, 1985, p. 4
  6. ↑ Neue Zeit, September 30, 1964, p. 2 imprint
  7. ^ Neue Zeit, October 14, 1972, p. 4 "Members of the main board of the CDU"
  8. ^ Anna Stüssi (* 1946) in: Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon , supplementary volume. 2, Berlin 1994, keyword Bongardt , Karl, p. 263; ISBN 3-907820-17-7
  9. ↑ Neue Zeit, June 2, 1993, p. 14
  10. ↑ Neue Zeit, June 27, 1994, p. 12
  11. ^ From the "Festival poem for the inauguration of the German Booksellers House in Leipzig" on April 29, 1888; Wildenbruch's Collected Works, Volume 15, p. S 554; Google Books
  12. ↑ Neue Zeit, May 7, 1985, p. 4
  13. ↑ Neue Zeit, May 7, 1985, p. 4
  14. ↑ The poem has five stanzas
  15. ↑ Editor's note on the last page
  16. ^ Karl Bongardt in: Neue Zeit , May 7, 1985, p. 4
  17. ^ Badische Landesbibliothek: files of the Reinhold Schneider Society, folder 25; Info .: Kalliope network
  18. ↑ OCLC 24058856
  19. ^ Neue Zeit, January 15, 1957, p. 3
  20. ^ Neue Zeit, February 19, 1957, p. 4
  21. ^ Neue Zeit, July 2, 1958, p. 3
  22. ^ Neue Zeit, February 19, 1957, p. 4
  23. ↑ DNB 455726248
  24. ↑ archival records in the Federal Archives; Orientation view / single view 255
  25. ↑ ↑ archival records in the Federal Archives; Orientation view / single view 36
  26. ^ Badische Landesbibliothek ; Info .: Kalliope network
  27. ^ Erfurt, October 20, 1946, archived in the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin; Info .: Kalliope network
  28. ↑ Erfurt, August 7, 1947; Info .: Kalliope network
  29. ↑ Berlin, June 2, 1978, archived in the Saxon State Library - Dresden State and University Library ; Info .: Kalliope network
  30. ↑ Berlin, March 10, 1982 Info .: Kalliope Association
  31. ↑ Volkshochschulprogramm Köpenick: Retrieved on November 16, 2019
  32. ^ Neue Zeit , October 2, 1969, p. 2
  33. ^ Neue Zeit , April 27, 1979, p. 1
  34. ^ Neue Zeit , May 2, 1985, p. 2
  35. ^ Neue Zeit , March 1, 1967, p. 1
  36. ^ Neue Zeit , June 15, 1967, p. 3
personal data
SURNAME Bongardt, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German librarian, journalist, editor and publicist
DATE OF BIRTH November 9, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Erfurt
DATE OF DEATH April 7, 2009
Place of death Berlin