On the Death of Alexander Kluge

Alexander Kluge was closely associated with Suhrkamp Verlag over many decades – as an independent-minded author, a boundary-crosser between literature, film, and theory, and a precise observer of historical and contemporary realities. The trauma of war shaped his childhood, and the wars of the present continued to preoccupy him until recently. With his distinctive, often cinematically inspired method of weaving together stories, documents, and reflections, he created new narrative forms and made a lasting contribution to the world of books. For him, Suhrkamp was the home of his written work.

With Alexander Kluge’s passing, we lose a major figure, an exceptional author, and a keen intellect.
Jonathan Landgrebe

Alexander Kluge passed away on March 25, 2026 in Munich.

Born in Halberstadt in 1932, Kluge is regarded as one of the most versatile German intellectuals of his time. He studied law, history and church music in Marburg and Frankfurt am Main. After qualifying as a lawyer, he undertook a traineeship with the film director Fitz Lang and went on, in the 1960s and 1970s, to become known as one of the most influential representatives of the New German cinema, which he helped to found and develop in both theory and practice. As an author, Kluge made himself a name primarily through his short stories, he was a member of Group 47, and he also published scholarly and philosophical works. For his body of work, Alexander Kluge received numerous awards, including the Georg-Büchner-Prize (2003), the German Film Award (Honorary Award 2008) as well as the Theodor W. Adorno Prize (2009).

Suhrkamp Verlag mourns the loss of its author.