fiction.wikisort.org - Screenwriter

Eberhard Panitz (16 April 1932 – 1 October 2021) was a German writer, screenwriter, literary editor and publicist. He wrote epic works, documentaries, audio plays and scripts for films and television. He was committed to socialist realism, and received several awards in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). After German reunification, he continued to write for leftist publishers.

Eberhard Panitz
Born	(1932-04-16)16 April 1932 Dresden, Germany
Died	1 October 2021(2021-10-01) (aged 89) Berlin, Germany
Education	University of Leipzig
Occupation	Writer Screenwriter Literary editor Publicist
Awards	Heinrich Mann Prize Nationalpreis der DDR Vaterländischer Verdienstorden

Life

Panitz was born in Dresden,[1][2] the son of a tram conductor and a saleswoman.[1] He grew up in Dresden-Trachau. He attended the Pestalozzi-Oberschule [de], completing with the Abitur in 1950.[3] After working in a youth brigade building the Cranzahl Dam,[4] he studied pedagogy and German studies at the University of Leipzig until 1953. He worked as a literary editor for both the Verlag Neues Leben [de] and the Mitteldeutscher Verlag [de] in Halle.[5] He joined the Deutscher Schriftstellerverband in 1958, remaining a member until it was dissolved in 1990. He belonged to its executive board, and was vice president of its Berlin section.[4]

Working as a freelance writer from 1959,[2] Panitz wrote epic works, documentaries, audio plays and scripts for films and television, committed to socialist realism. His topics included building a socialist society, espionage, the bombing of Dresden and the emancipation of women.[5] Novels such as Meines Vaters Straßenbahn (My father's tram) have autographic elements, set in Dresden.[6] He created strong determined women characters.[6] His novel Die unheilige Sophia (The unholy Sophia) is based on Sonja, a controversial mayor of Kolberg after World War II. The book was filmed, directed by Manfred Wekwerth, at original locations.[4] Panitz was editor for two volumes of notable German stories (Erzählungen).[5]

Panitz travelled frequently in socialist countries such as Vietnam, Cuba and Mongolia,[1] resulting in books such as Gesichter Vietnams (Faces of Vietnam, 1978) and Cuba mi Amor (2004).[6] He also travelled in the U.S. for several months.[1] Panitz was a member of the Marxist forum of the Die Linke party.[4]

After German reunification, his writings were released through small publishing houses dedicated to leftist topics.[5] His 1982 novel Eiszeit, a warning of atomic weapons, was reprinted in 2016.[6] He lived in Berlin-Grünau as a freelance writer. For decades, he also had a summer retreat which he preferred for working, first in Kolberg, and from 1974 a house in Prieros [de], Brandenburg, which had belonged to Christa Wolf before.[4]

Panitz died in Berlin at age 89.[2][7]

Awards

• 1956 Jugendbuchpreis of the GDR[4]
• 1967 Erich Weinert Medal[8]
• 1971 Heinrich Greif Prize[8]
• 1973 Literature Prize of the Democratic Women's League of Germany[9][8]
• 1975 Heinrich Mann Prize[2][10]
• 1976 Heinrich Greif Prize[11]
• 1977 Nationalpreis der DDR[4]
• 1982 Goethe Prize [de] of East Berlin[12]
• 1984 Art Prize [de] of the Free German Trade Union Federation[8]
• 1985 Vaterländischer Verdienstorden of the GDR[4]

Work

Books

Filmography

Panitz worked for films, sometimes writing the literary base, sometimes also the script.[18] Films included:

• 1967: Der Revolver des Corporals [de], literary base[18]
• 1970: Netzwerk, scenario with director Ralf Kirsten[18]
• 1972: Der Dritte (Her Third), literary basis, director: Egon Günther[2]
• 1972/73: Die sieben Affären der Doña Juanita [de] (television film in four episodes based on his novel)[18]
• 1974/75: Die unheilige Sophia, literary base, script with Manfred Wekwerth, director: Wekwerth
• 1976: Absage an Viktoria, literary base, script, director: Celino Bleiweiß [de][18]
• 1980: Meines Vaters Straßenbahn, literary base, script, director: Celino Bleiweiß[18]
• 1983 to 1985: Mein lieber Onkel Hans, literary base, director: Dagmar Wittmers [de][18]

References

Further reading

• Hartmut Mechtel [de]: Eberhard Panitz. In: Erik Simon, Olaf R. Spittel [de] (eds.): Die Science-fiction der DDR. Autoren und Werke. Ein Lexikon. Verlag Das Neue Berlin, Berlin 1988, ISBN 3-360-00185-0, pp. 212ff

External links

• Literature by and about Eberhard Panitz in the German National Library catalogue
• Works by or about Eberhard Panitz in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Eberhard Panitz at IMDb

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