Fritz J. Raddatz

Fritz Joachim Raddatz (3 September 1931 – 26 February 2015) was a German feuilletonist, essayist, biographer, journalist and romancier.

Life Fritz Raddatz was born in Berlin. His mother, according to Raddatz a "Parisienne from a rich family", died after giving birth to him. His father was, as Raddatz once put it, "a relatively known" man. Raddatz, who knew his name but had no relationship to his biological father, never identified him. Raddatz was battered by him and also forced to have sex with his stepmother.

After his stepfather had died in 1946 the Protestant pastor Hans-Joachim Mund (1914–1986) became his legal guardian. At age 15 Raddatz started an affair with Mund. In 1950 Raddatz moved to East Berlin. From 1953 to 1958 he led the foreign department of the publishing house Volk und Welt in East Berlin. Because Raddatz had ongoing conflicts with East German authorities he moved back to West Germany in 1958.

In 1960 he became chief editor and deputy publishing manager of Rowohlt Verlag. From 1976 until 1985 he was leading the feuilleton of Die Zeit.

Raddatz was one of the most influential literary critics in the field of German literature. He also published his diaries as well as many essays, novels and biographies.

Raddatz lived openly as a bisexual. In Hamburg he lived for more than 30 years with his partner Gerd.

In September 2014 Raddatz announced his retirement from active writing.

Raddatz, who was an advocate of Euthanasia, died by assisted suicide at the age of 83 on 26 February 2015 in Zürich. He never wanted to become a nursing case. In full possession of his powers he decided: "That's it, it's enough." Jahre mit Ledig: Eine Erinnerung. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2015,