Charlotte Wiedemann

Charlotte Wiedemann was born in 1954 in Mönchengladbach. In 1979 she got a Master Degree in Educational Science and Sociology from the University of Göttingen, later a second degree from the Hamburg School of Journalism. From 1983 up to 1999 she worked as political correspondent in Bonn, Hamburg and Berlin for “Stern”, “Die Woche”, “die tageszeitung” covering domestic policies and contemporary history – after the German unification with a focus on new nationalism and the rebirth of right-wing intellectualism, as on the so-called forgotten victims of National Socialism on the other side of the former Iron curtain.

In 1999 Wiedemann changed to foreign affairs reporting. Until 2003 she lived in Malaysia, doing research all-over South-East Asia on human rights, societal developments and inter-faith relations, writing for “Die Zeit”, “Le Monde diplomatique” “Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik”, and “Freitag”. Back in Germany she worked as a traveling foreign reporter mostly on Muslim or Islamicate societies. Research trips brought her to various countries in West Asia and to North and West Africa for “Die Zeit”, “Geo” or “Le Monde Diplomatique”. She published books on Mali, on Iran and on the many roles of women In Muslim societies.

In recent years she extended her thinking to race relations, Postcolonialism and the global decline of the white Western influence: “Der lange Abschied von der weißen Dominanz“ (The Long Farewell to White Dominance). Written again in a personal style she examined what has changed since her childhood, within Germany and worldwide, and she discussed how the responsibility for the Holocaust can be reframed in times of migration and right-wing populism. For her recent book „Den Schmerz der Anderen begreifen. Holocaust und Weltgedächtnis“ (Understanding the Pain of Others. Holocaust and World Memory) she revisited places of colonial and fascist mass crimes in an area stretching from Indonesia to Lithuania and involved the readers in reflections on historical differences and ethical commonalities. Within this framework she argued that Palestinian voices should be included in the German Holocaust memory culture, a position which turned out to be highly controversial. Consequentially, she has been speaking and writing a lot about the triangle Germany/Israel/Palestine, about memory and Postcolonialism and presented her thoughts on conferences abroad.

Wiedemann also used to teach journalism and creative writing and made a name for herself as a media critic.

EDUCATION

1979 MA Educational Science and Sociology, University of Göttingen
Hamburg School of Journalism (now: Henri-Nannen-Schule)

LATEST WORKS

Den Schmerz der Anderen begreifen. Holocaust und Weltgedächtnis. Berlin: Propyläen, 2022.
Der lange Abschied von der weißen Dominanz. München: dtv, 2019.
Der neue Iran. Eine Gesellschaft tritt aus dem Schatten. München: dtv, 2019.
Vom Versuch, nicht weiß zu schreiben. Oder: wie Journalismus unser Weltbild prägt. Köln: PapyRossa Verlag, 2018.
Mali oder das Ringen um Würde. Meine Reisen in einem verwundeten Land. München: Pantheon, 2014.
„Ihr wisst nichts über uns!“ Meine Reisen durch einen unbekannten Islam. Freiburg/Basel/Wien: Herder, 2012.
Die Hütte der kleinen Sätze. Politische Reportagen aus Südostasien. Berlin: Edition Freitag, 2004.

AWARDS

2017: Special Award Otto-Brenner-Stiftung
2013: Recognition award Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies
2008: Media Award Entwicklungspolitik (Main Award Category Print)
2007: Journalist Award “Weltbevölkerung”
1996: Emma-Journalist Award

ENGAGEMENT

2017–2019 Mentor of “Geh Deinen Weg”/Deutschlandstiftung Integration
2017–2018 Member of the Jury of the reportage prize of the N-Ost network
2011–2013 Member of the Advisory Board of the Bremer Übersee-Museum
Member of the Advisory Board of the Berlin Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO)