Rudolf Augstein

Rudolf Karl Augstein (born the November 5th 1923 - died the November 7th 2002) was one of the German journalists most influential, founder and joint owner of the magazine Der Spiegel .

Born with Hanover, in Germany, he was operator of radio and artillery observer in the Wehrmacht during the Second world war.

He founded Der Spiegel into 1946/1947, which became (and remains) the magazine the most important weekly magazine of investigation of this country. During the scandal of the Spiegel in 1961 and 1962, it was arrested and imprisoned during several months, before Franz Josef Strauss is not forced to resign of its post of minister of Defense under the public pressure.

In the middle of the years 1960, it strongly relayed the thesis of Fritz Fischer on the responsibilities for the German Impérialisme in the release of the First World War.

Augstein became a member of the Bundestag in 1972, but resigned in 1973 to concentrate on its journalistic profession, estimating to have more influence outside, thanks to its magazine.

Historian amateur, Augstein published several crowned books of success, among which Preußens Friedrich und die (1981) Otto von Bismarck (1990) and, on its , , Deutschen adversary duration of always Überlebensgroß Herr Strauß, Ein Spiegelbild (1980).

After Stefan Aust became editor association of the Spiegel , Augstein withdrew public life, although it continued to regularly publish comments in the magazine almost until his death. For its action for peace, freedoms civic and freedom of the press it was honoured with the title of “Journalist of the century” in 2000 by 101 German journalists.

Augstein married five times, the last time in 2000. He died on November 7th, 2002 of a pneumonia and was buried in the island of Sylt.