Igor Hergenrother Russian writer. Date of Birth: 15.09.1952 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career in Journalism
3. Life in Berlin and Literary Success
4. Awards and Political Activism

Early Life and Education

Albert Wendt was born into a family of Volga Germans who had been deported during World War II. His father, Alexei Filippovich Gergenreder, taught Russian language and literature at a high school, while his mother, Irma Yakovlevna (née Weber), worked as an accountant. After finishing school in 1970, Albert Wendt worked as a correspondent for the local newspaper "Znamenya Kommunizma." In 1976, he graduated with honors from the Faculty of Journalism at Kazan University.

Career in Journalism

After university, Albert Wendt worked at newspapers in Latvia, the Middle Volga region, and Moldova. In 1985, he debuted in literature with his stories and novellas appearing in anthologies, literary almanacs, and Soviet magazines.

Life in Berlin and Literary Success

Since 1994, Albert Wendt has lived in Berlin, where he worked as a correspondent and author for the monthly magazine "Literarny Evropeets," published in Frankfurt. He is a member of the Board of the Union of Russian Writers in Germany and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin (Literary Colloquium Berlin).

In 1997, a shortened magazine version of his novella "Give a Hand to the King" was published in "Novaya Studia." Translated into German in full, the novella was released as a novel in Germany in 1998 and became widely acclaimed in both German and international press. The novella was finally published in its full Russian version in the magazine "Mosty" in 2004.

Awards and Political Activism

Albert Wendt has received several awards, including the "Literaturny Evropeets" magazine award. In March 2010, he signed the Russian opposition's appeal "Putin Must Go."