Journalist, Newspaper Editor. Considered one of Germany's most important post-war journalists, he was born in Berlin, Germany, where he began his journalism career in 1945 as a reporter for the "Allgeminein Zeitung" in Berlin. Also wrote for "Newsweek" and the "New York Times." In 1956 he co-founded a youth magazine "Bravo" and in 1959 moved to Axel Springer's publishing house where he became a long-time Editor-in-chief of the "Bild," Germany's largest and most influential daily newspaper, from 1961 (at age 33) to 1971 and the weekly "Bild am Sontag" from 1965 to 1979. Was also chief of the editorial board of "die Welt" (a conservative daily in the Springer group) from 1978 to 1981. Was an advisor to Helmut Kohl in the Bundestag elections of 1976 and 1980 who then appointed him in 1983 to the position of Undersecretary of State and Press Secretary, a position he held until 1985 when he resigned in the wake of reported unpaid income taxes. In that position he played a key role in the controversial 1985 visit of U S President Ronald Reagan to a German war cemetery in Bitburg.
He then, along with Michael Gorbachev, headed the St. Petersburg Dialog, a forum for understanding Russia; also became president of the Berlin Union Club, an organization to preserve the Hoppegarten racetrack in Berlin. He also continued in journalism as a columnist for "Bild" and from 1999 to 2001 he was a member of the board of directors of Axel Springer AG publishers. Awarded the Großes Verdienstkreuz of the Republic of Germany in 2003 for his extra-ordinary service to freedom of the press and his support of German-Russian relations. His last piece, an editorial in his "alma mater" the "Bild" appeared exactly one week before his death. Died in Gmund am Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany, from cancer.