Robert Jungk (1913–1994)

Robert Jungk, né Baum, was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His parents were actors Elli Branden (Sara Bravo) and Max Jung (David Baum). Robert studied philosophy at the University of Berlin in 1932-1933. In February 1933, one day after the Reichstag fire, he was arrested by the Nazis. He was released shortly, but realizing that Germany was now too dangerous for him, he moved to Paris. There he studied psychology and sociology at the Sorbonne, and then went in 1938 to the University of Zurich, where he worked on a doctorate in philology. During World War II, Jungk wrote for the clandestine anti-Nazi press under various pseudonyms as well as for Swiss publications. In 1945, threatened with deportation back to Germany, Jungk fled with the help of friends to the USA. There he launched a career as a current affairs and science writer for American and European newspapers and book author. His first book, The Future Has Begun, was published in 1952 (he later described himself as a futurologist). His 1956 book Brighter than a Thousand Suns: A Personal History of the Atomic Scientists, was an international bestseller. In 1957, Jungk moved to Austria with his wife Ruth Suschitzky. He received the Right Livelihood Award in 1986 for "struggling indefatigably on behalf of peace, sane alternatives for the future and ecological awareness." In 1992, he ran unsuccessfully for president of Austria as the Green Party candidate.