Theo Sommer

Theo Sommer ( born June 10 1930 in Konstanz ) is a German journalist, the "Time " as the editor and publisher worked for about regional Hamburg weekly newspaper.

Life

Training

Summer was born in Konstanz. He was a student at the Adolf- Hitler -Schule ( AHS ) on the Ordensburg Sonthofen ( August 1942-May 1945 ). Among his classmates were among other Hardy Kruger and Jacob Muth. In 1949, Summer in Schwäbisch Gmünd from the Abitur examination. He then studied history and political science at the Folkhögskola Åsa, Sweden, at the University of Tübingen, at Manchester College in Indiana, USA, and at the University of Chicago. Summer 1960 Dr. phil at Hans Roth Rock in Tübingen., 1935-1940 PhD with a thesis on Germany and Japan among the powers. Then, in the summer of 1960, he took on Henry Kissinger's International Seminar at Harvard University in part.

Journalist

Summer since 1949, working as a journalist. His career began in the Rems -Zeitung in Schwäbisch Gmünd, where until 1955 he worked as city editor from 1952. 1958 summer was through the mediation of Marion Dönhoff political editor at the time, he was its editor from 1 January 1973 to 30 September 1992. Thereafter, he served from 1 October 1992 to 31 March 2000, in addition to Marion Dönhoff ( 1909-2002 ) and former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as editor. On April 1, 2000 Summer Editor -at- Large is at the time. He is also active as an author and presenter and several honorary offices. Since 2004 Theo Sommer Editor at the publishing house Times Media GmbH is under the management of Detlef W. Prince. He is the editor of The Atlantic Times, The German Times, The Asia- Pacific Times and the African Times. In addition, the summer working for foreign press organs. He was for many years a columnist for Newsweek International, Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo), JoongAng Ilbo (Seoul).

Other offices and activities

Summer had 1967 to 1970 a lecturer of Political Science at the University of Hamburg. In the winter semester 1972 he taught at the Center for European Studies at Harvard University.

1969/1970 was the summer under Defense Minister Helmut Schmidt Head of the Policy Planning Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence. From 1970 to 1972 he was a member of the military structure of the Federal Government.

From 1992 to 2004 the summer was on the board of Welthungerhilfe.

In addition, he was in the years 1999 and 2000, Vice Chairman of the Weizsäcker Commission "Common Security and Future of the Bundeswehr " and from January 2001 to June 2001 Head of the " task force Dr. Sommer " to investigate the handling of the Bundeswehr with hazardous substances and hazards such as uranium munitions, the X-ray radiation from radars and asbestos.

Without fixed period of time he was a member of the Bilderberg conference, and since 2000 he is a member of the PEN center of Germany.

Conviction for tax evasion

In January 2014 was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison and a fine of 20,000 euros for willful tax evasion and serious fraud Theo Sommer from the Hamburg District Court, which will be paid into a fund to promote science, education and art. The sentence was suspended for three years probation. In the criminal proceedings concerned a tax liability in the amount of 649,917.99 euros from the years 2005 to 2011 concealed by his work as editor for the publishing house of Times Media GmbH and its products, such as The Atlantic Times, the summer before the tax office, but now in had essentially eradicated. Already a prior method for a non- taxed cash payment of 10,000 euros for a lecture from 2000 had been adjusted against payment of a fine.

The journalist Ulrich Schmid took summer condemnation as an impostor and tax evaders an opportunity to practice sharp criticism of summer role as decidedly moralistic journalist in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung:

" More important is another aspect that the public attention. Theo Sommer about would have much more deserving of it. He was the epitome of politically downright devastating correct moralist, he has distributed only censorship, and he is thus remembered that he was still in June 1989 in the "Time" wrote, "Who today brings the skeleton of German unity out of the closet can any other set only in fear and terror. » the skeleton was in the autumn of a handsome body, the German unit was true, but summer looked back in May 1990 caused in an apologia under the weird title" the Spirit of a hustler " to explain with unsurpassable intellectual sloppiness why he and all the others who firmly believed Germany remain divided on the best always, basically, so had in a way just stop right after all. Summer, which did not display itself, is the media largely does not matter. "

Others

Summer is married to his third wife and has five children. He lives with his wife in Hamburg- tribe village.

Awards (selection)

Works (selection)

• Germany and Japan between the Powers 1935-1940. From the Anti-Comintern Pact to the Tripartite Pact. A study on the diplomatic history of World War 2 ( = Tübingen studies on history and politics. No. 15). Mohr ( Siebeck ), Tübingen 1962 ( Dissertation, University of Tübingen, 1960).
• ( with Marion Dönhoff, Rudolf Walter Leonhardt ) journey into a far country: Report on culture, economy and politics in the GDR. Nannen, Hamburg 1964.
• The Chinese card: 900 million on the way to 2000 Piper, Munich / Zurich 1979, ISBN 3-492-02505-6. .
• Looking Back to the Future: Reflections on time from 1973 to 1983. German publishing house, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3- 421-06203 -X.
• Facing the future: A look back and ahead. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1999, ISBN 3-498-06342-1.
• Hamburg: World city in the waves of time. Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-455-09430-9.
• 1945: The Biography of a year. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2005, ISBN 3-498-06382-0.
• ( with Karl -Heinz Janssen, Haug of Kuenheim ) Time: story of a weekly newspaper from 1946 to today. Siedler, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-88680-847-5.
• Our Schmidt: The Statesman and the publicist. Hoffmann and Campe, Hamburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-455-50176-6.
• This NATO has had its day: The Alliance must be European. A point of view. Ed. Körber Foundation, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-89684-144-5.

• Think of Germany: On the problem of reunification, views and. Insights. Nannen, Hamburg 1966.
• Alliance in Transition? The relationship between Europe and America. Heyne, München 1982, ISBN 3-453-01724-2.
• Journey to the other Germany. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1986, ISBN 3-498-06210-7.
• ( with Marion Dönhoff, Helmut Schmidt ) Time - history of the Bonn Republic, 1949-1999. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1999, ISBN 3-498-01314-9.
• Life in Germany: The Anatomy of a nation. Kiepenheuer & Petrovich, Cologne 2004, ISBN 3-46203-414-6.
• My idea of the land of ideas: How the world sees Germany. Droemer, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-426-27410-8.