Roger Willemsen

Roger Willemsen studied at Helmholtz-Gymnasium Bonn, University of Bonn and University of Florence. The recorded working language is English and German. The field of work recorded is German studies. Places of work recorded in the authority are Berlin. Employment is recorded with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Ruhr University Bochum. Distinctions recorded are Bavarian TV Awards and Julius Campe award.

• Name — Roger Willemsen • Born — 15 August 1955 • Birthplace — Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany • Died — 7 February 2016 • Place of death — Wentorf bei Hamburg, Germany • Fields — German studies

Willemsen was born and passed his Abitur in Bonn. He studied German philology (Germanistik), philosophy and history of art in Bonn, Munich and Vienna and was awarded a scholarship by the Evangelisches Studienwerk. He did his postgraduate studies on Robert Musil and received his PhD. He started his TV career in 1991 as head interviewer at 0137, a daily talkshow and signature programme at newly founded German pay-TV Premiere. He performed about 1.000 interviews, including some with imprisoned members of the Red Army Faction, a fugitive bank robber, a leftover cosmonaut in space station MIR and a cannibal. He also interviewed Audrey Hepburn, Jesse Jackson, Yasser Arafat, Lech Wałęsa, Dame Edna Everage and Madonna. Driven by Willemsen, the show won numerous prestigious awards. Willemsen was praised for his intellect, charm and wit. 1994 Willemsen got his own show Willemsens Woche on public broadcaster ZDF. In 2006 he ended his career in mass-TV. In 1999, he interviewed the German musician Herbert Grönemeyer for Stern after Grönemeyer's wife Anna had died of cancer. Willemsen wrote newspaper columns in Zeit Magazin and Die Woche. He authored about 50 books, many of them inspired by travelling such as Die Enden der Welt / The Ends of the Earth. His last bestseller, published in 2014, is Das Hohe Haus: Ein Jahr im Parlament, reflecting on a year sitting in meetings of the German parliament Bundestag. He died of cancer on 7 February 2016, aged 60.

Roger Willemsen is recorded as linguist, television presenter, journalist, writer and news presenter.