Joachim Fest

Profession: Historian and Journalist

Biography: Joachim Fest was a German historian, journalist, critic, and editor. He is best known for his writings and commentary on Nazi Germany, including a major biography of Adolf Hitler.

Fest worked as an editor at the American-run Berlin radio station RIAS from 1954 to 1961. There he produced radio portraits of major historical figures, including Nazi leaders like Himmler and Goebbels, which were later published as his first book, "The Face of the Third Reich" (1963).

His most influential work was his 1973 biography of Hitler, which sparked controversy for emphasizing the German middle classes' fear of modernization as a key factor in Hitler's rise.

Fest also directed the documentary "Hitler: A Career" (1977) and served as an editorial aide to Albert Speer during the writing of his memoirs. In "Speer: The Final Verdict" (2002), Fest criticized Speer for concealing his complicity in Nazi crimes.

Meanwhile, "Plotting Hitler's Death" (1994) acknowledged the German resistance to Hitler while arguing that most Germans ignored the truth about Nazism until it was too late.

From 1973 to 1993, Fest was the co-editor and culture editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He was a key figure in the Historikerstreit (Historians' Dispute) of the late 1980s, known for his conservative, pessimistic views.

Fest's works have been praised for their literary qualities but also criticized for weak research and perpetuating legends about figures like Speer.

Fest's autobiography, "Not Me: Memoirs of a German Childhood," recounts his family's resistance to the Nazi regime and was published in 2006. He died later that year.

Born: December 8, 1926
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Tiger
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: September 11, 2006 (aged 79)