Kirsch, Hans-Christian (pseudonym Frederik Hetmann)

Writer, translator

Born: 17.02.1934 in Breslau

Died: 01.06.2006 in Limburg an der Lahn

Kirsch came to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, studied education, English, Romance languages and literature and political science and undertook extensive study trips to Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, the USA, Asia and Africa, among other places. From 1956-60, Kirsch worked as a teacher at the Higher Commercial School in Wiesbaden and from

1959-61 as an editor at an educational publishing house. From 1962-72 he worked as a freelance author and radio editor and then as an editor at the publishing house Otto Maier, Ravensburg, until 1979. Since then he has lived as a freelance writer. Kirsch published numerous radio plays, books for young people, novels and biographies (mostly under his pseudonym). In addition to myths and fairy tales from various cultures, his works have focused on contemporary historical and socio-political issues. In his novel "Deutschlandlied" (1969), for example, he dealt with the political context of the workers' uprising of June 17, 1953.

He also appeared as a translator and editor of fairy tales from North America, Ireland, England and Wales.

From 1971 he was a member of the P.E.N. Center of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Association of German Writers at ver.di (VS), 1983-86 Chairman of the VS Rhineland-Palatinate. Kirsch received numerous awards, including the "Eichendorff Literature Prize" (1962), the "German Youth Literature Prize" (1965 and 1973) and the "Friedrich Gerstäcker Prize" (1976). In 1984, he was the city writer of Offenbach am Main. Together with his wife Elinor, Kirsch founded the "Hans-im-Glück-Preis" for young writers, which is awarded by the city of Limburg. His estate can be found in the Limburg city archives.