Janka, Walter

PUBLISHER, DRAMATIST (GERMANY)
BORN 29 Apr 1914, Chemnitz, Sachsen - DIED 17 Mar 1994, Kleinmachnow, Brandenburg (near Berlin)
GRAVE LOCATION Kleinmachnow (near Berlin), Brandenburg: Waldfriedhof Kleinmachnow

Walter Janka participated in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the communists. During the Second World War he was in Mexico where he founded the publishing house "El Libro". In 1947 he returned to Germany and in 1948 he became the director of the DEFA movie company, followed by an engagement as the director of the Afbau publishing house in 1952.

In 1956 he was arrested on suspicion of contra revolutionary activities and in 1957 he was sentenced to five years of solitary confinement. After his release he occasinally worked as a dramatist for the DEFA. His conviction was annulled in 1990.

Images

The grave of Walter Janka at the Waldfriedhof, Kleinmachnow.
Picture by Androom (28 Jan 2008)

 

Sources
Walter Janka – Wikipedia


Janku-Sandtnerová, Marie

Published: 18 Apr 2016
Last update: 14 Feb 2022