18 Facts About Fritz Pleitgen

Fritz Ferdinand Pleitgen was a German television journalist and author.

Fritz Pleitgen was correspondent in Moscow, East Berlin and Washington.

In 1988, Pleitgen became editor-in-chief of television of Germany's then-largest public broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, and was director of WDR from 1995 to 2007.

Fritz Pleitgen is regarded as one of the most influential German journalists and media makers.

Fritz Pleitgen was born in Duisburg-Meiderich on 21 March 1938, the fifth child of a technical draftsman working at Krupp.

In 1963, Fritz Pleitgen began working as a journalist at the German broadcaster WDR; he started as a reporter for Tagesschau.

Fritz Pleitgen's duties included reporting from Brussels and Paris covering the European Economic Community and NATO.

From 1970, Fritz Pleitgen reported as ARD's foreign correspondent from Moscow, where he accompanied Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on trips abroad.

Fritz Pleitgen established contacts with dissidents like Andrei Sakharov, Lev Kopelev, Yuri Orlov, and Andrei Amalrik.

From 1977, Fritz Pleitgen served as correspondent in East Berlin, but his work was restricted by the Stasi.

Fritz Pleitgen moderated for ARD television Weltspiegel, ARD-Brennpunkt, and Presseclub.

Fritz Pleitgen was director of the WDR from 1995 to 2007, succeeding his former boss Nowottny; from 2001 to 2002, he was chairman of the ARD.

Fritz Pleitgen played a key role in the launch of the event and documentary channel Phoenix.

Fritz Pleitgen took moral responsibility for the Love Parade disaster.

Fritz Pleitgen appreciated the value of a free press, because of his own experiences with censorship in totalitarian states.

Fritz Pleitgen was a supporter of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik and in conflict with the Christian Social Union in Bavaria.

Fritz Pleitgen stated in May 2021, that a concept for a policy with Russia is missing, Russians are Europeans.

In 1969, Fritz Pleitgen married Gerda Lichtenberg; the couple had four children.