Friedrich Knilli, one of the founders of media studies in German-speaking countries, is dead.
He died on February 1 at the age of 91, according to family members. From 1972 to 1998, the native Austrian headed the Department of General Literary Studies with a focus on Media Studies at the Technical University of Berlin and founded the main course “Diploma Media Consulting” there. He is known for his research on the portrayal of Jews in the media.
Knilli was born Friedrich Venier on February 14, 1930 in Fehring in Styria. He studied mechanical engineering, psychology and general literature. At the age of 30 he published the book “The radio play. Means and possibilities of a total sound play”, with which he created a new theory of the radio play and dealt intensively with its effect. Knilli was awarded the renowned Adolf Grimme Prize in 1971 for the screenplay for the television play “Auf, Sozialisten,close the ranks! Deutsches Arbeitertheater 1867-1918”.
Since the 1970s he has been researching the portrayal of Jews in the media. For example, he examined the reactions of viewers to the mini-TV series “Holocaust – The History of the Weiss Family”. He gained attention for the biography he wrote “I was Jud Suess” about the actor Ferdinand Marian, the main actor in the anti-Semitic propaganda film “Jud Suess” by Veit Harlan.
“We have Friedrich Knilli to thank for the fact that more than half a century ago people in Berlin began to systematically research the media and teach their critical use,” said Knilli’s companion, Siegfried Zielinski, in recognition of the media scientist almost two years ago for his 90th birthday.