Franz Josef Degenhardt

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Franz Josef Degenhardt
Franz Josef Degenhardt in 1987
Born(1931-12-03)3 December 1931
Schwelm, Westphalia, Germany
Died14 November 2011(2011-11-14) (aged 79)
Quickborn, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • Guitarist
  • Poet
  • Satirist
  • Novelist
  • Lawyer
Known forSpiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern
Websitewww.franz-josef-degenhardt.de

Franz Josef Degenhardt (3 December 1931 – 14 November 2011) was a German poet, satirist, novelist, and – first and foremost – a

Doctor of Law.[1]

Degenhardt was born in Schwelm, Westphalia. After studying law from 1952 to 1956 in Cologne and Freiburg, he passed the first German state bar examination in 1956 and the second in 1960. In 1961, he worked for the Europa-Institut of the University at Saarbrücken, where he obtained his doctorate in 1966. Degenhardt joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1961, but was forced out in 1971 because of his support for the German Communist Party (DKP), which he joined in 1978.

From the early 1960s onward, in addition to practicing law, Degenhardt was also performing and releasing recordings. He is perhaps most famous for his song (and the album of the same name) "

communists. At the same time, he was – in his capacity as a singer-songwriter – one of the major voices of the 1968 student movement. In 1972 he translated the song "Here's to You" under the title Sacco und Vanzetti with five new verses. On his 1977 album Wildledermantelmann [de
] he criticized many of his former comrades from that era for what he saw as their betrayal of socialist ideals and shift towards a social-liberal orientation. The album's title (roughly, "man with velour coat") mocks the style of clothing they had supposedly adopted.

Notably, the songs on Degenhardt's 1986 album

chansons by the French singer-songwriter Georges Brassens
, spiritually perhaps one of his closest musical allies.

Degenhardt has also written several novels, most in a rather autobiographical vein, among others: Zündschnüre [de] ("Slow Matches", 1972), Brandstellen ("Scenes of Fires", 1974), Der Liedermacher (1982) and Für ewig und drei Tage ("For Ever and Three Days", 1999).

He was a cousin of the

Kreis Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein
.

References

  1. ^ "Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern: Liedermacher Franz Josef Degenhardt ist tot – SPIEGEL ONLINE – Nachrichten – Kultur". Der Spiegel (in German). Spiegel.de. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.

Further reading

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