Fritz Pleitgen

Fritz Pleitgen
Pleitgen in 2007
Born	(1938-03-21)21 March 1938 Duisburg-Meiderich, German Reich
Died	15 September 2022(2022-09-15) (aged 84) Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Occupations	Journalist Broadcasting director Author
Organizations	Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Spouse	Gerda Lichtenberg ​ (m. 1969)​
Children	4, including Frederik
Awards	Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Fritz Ferdinand Pleitgen (21 March 1938 – 15 September 2022) was a German television journalist and author. He was correspondent in Moscow, East Berlin and Washington. Pleitgen was a supporter of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik. In 1988, Pleitgen became editor-in-chief of television of Germany's then-largest public broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), and was director of WDR from 1995 to 2007. He is regarded as one of the most influential German journalists and media makers. In 2010, he was the manager of Ruhr.2010, a project of European Capital of Culture.