Stefan Aust was editor-in-chief of the political weekly Der Spiegel, Germany's most influential magazine, for 14 years until 2008. His journalism career began in Germany in the late 1960s: he edited Konkret and St Pauli-Nachrichten, then worked on the political TV show “Panorama” for 13 years until 1985. Aust is also a filmmaker, mainly documentaries. His in-depth knowledge of German terrorism in the 1970s was the basis for his seminal work, The Baader Meinhof Complex (1985). The book was re-released in 2008 to coincide with the release of Bernd Eichinger’s film version, on which Aust served as an advisor. The film has been nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 2009 Oscars. Aust’s book is the definitive history of the German terrorist Red Army Faction (1970-1998): a fast-paced narrative which reads like a thriller, and an essential guide to the understanding of terrorism.

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Bibliography

The Art of Der Spiegel: Cover Illustrations Over Five Decades

Baader-Meinhof: The Inside Story of the R.A.F.

Baader-Meinhof Complex

Useful links

 Read Deutsche Well's interview with Stefan Aust about The Baader Meinhof Complex - book and film.
Read more about the film version of The Baader Meinhof Complex
Read "The Baader Meinhof Complex: The story of what drove the Baader Meinhof gang to violence, and the way Germany reacted, makes for a powerful movie"on The Guardian