Reviews and Reports

Review Authorized Biography Angela Merkel

Authors

  • Marieke Oprel Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.3.122

Abstract

With Angela Merkel favoured to win the German election again, several political books about the German chancellor were published during 2013. Both in Germany and abroad, observers puzzled over the reasons for the on-going success of Mrs. Merkel, the scientist from East Berlin who became an internationally honoured stateswoman. One book stood out because of the label ‘authorized biography’ on the cover: Angela Merkel. The Chancellor and her world, written by Stefan Kornelius. Whether Merkel asked Kornelius, head of the international section of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, to write a book about her political career and vision, or just commented and approved a book Kornelius had written independently, is not mentioned. However, the fact is that Kornelius’ book is the first biography for which Merkel gave her consent. The question is: what new light does this authorized biography shed on the person behind the politician?

 

This article was first published in EJLW on 14 October 2014.

Author Biography

Marieke Oprel, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Marieke Oprel has just completed her Researchmaster in Contemporary History at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) of Amsterdam. Her research primarily concerns the international relations between the Netherlands and Germany after 1945, with a particular focus on legal redress and transitional justice in the postwar period.

Published

2014-10-14

Issue

Vol. 3 (2014): EJLW

Section

Reviews and Reports

Copyright (c) 2014 Marieke Oprel

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