Ronald M. Schernikau

Ronald M. Schernikau (July 11, 1960 – October 20, 1991) was a German writer. Schernikau was born in Magdeburg and died in Berlin. Schernikau largely wrote about LGBT issues in Germany, and was one of the few to defect from West Germany to East Germany.[1]

Life

Plaque at Schernikau's house in Berlin-Hellersdorf

His mother moved from Magdeburg, East Germany to Lehrte, West Germany in 1966 to reunite with Ronald's father, but upon arriving, they discovered that he was a Neo-Nazi with a second family, but remained in Lehrte.[1][2]

At 16, he joined the German Communist Party (DKP). Even before he graduated from high school at Lehrter Gymnasium, his Kleinstadtnovelle novella was published by Rotbuch Verlag in 1980. The book, which was about coming out as gay in a small town, was a first remarkable success, the first edition was out of print after a few days. In the same year Schernikau moved to West Berlin, where he switched to the Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin (SEW) and studied German, Philosophy and Psychology at the Frei University. During this time, Schernikau wrote for various left-wing publications, writing on topics such as the baking industry and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.[1]

From 1986 to 1989 Schernikau studied at the German Institute for Literature "Johannes R. Becher" in Leipzig, the first West German to do so.[1] Here he wrote his book die tage in l. darüber, dass die ddr und die brd sich niemals verständigen können, geschweige mittels ihrer literatur, which discussed how East and West Germans perceived each other.[1]

In September 1991, Schernikau completed his book legende, only weeks before dying of AIDS-related illnesses.[1]

Legacy

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Schernikau's life and works. German journalist Matthias Frings published a biography about Schernikau in 2009.[2] German director Bastian Kraft produced a play on Schernikau in 2014, which German newspaper Die Tageszeitung reported was sold-out nearly every night.[2]

References

Miller, Ben; Courtman, Nicholas (February 24, 2019). "I Embrace You All: Ronald M. Schernikau and the Queer Left". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
Hochgesand, Stefan (March 23, 2015). "Der schöne, schwule Kommunist". Die Tageszeitung (in German). Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

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[:0-1] Miller, Ben; Courtman, Nicholas (February 24, 2019). "I Embrace You All: Ronald M. Schernikau and the Queer Left". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

[:1-2] Hochgesand, Stefan (March 23, 2015). "Der schöne, schwule Kommunist". Die Tageszeitung (in German). Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.