Dr. Hajo Schumacher, born in 1964, studied journalism, political science and psychology and received a doctor’s degree with his dissertation on the political leadership strategies of Angela Merkel.
From 1990 until 2000, he worked as an editorial journalist for the news magazine Der Spiegel, the last time as co-manager of the Berlin office and, from 2000 until 2002, he was editor in chief of the magazine Max.
Today he works freelance as a writer, moderator and journalist.
Amongst others, he wrote the following books: Kopf hoch, Deutschland (Blessing, 2005), Die zwölf Gesetze der Macht. Angela Merkels Erfolgsgeheimnisse (Heyne, 2007), (with Klaus Wowereit) … und das ist auch gut so. Mein Leben für die Politik (Heyne, 2007), (with Susanne Leinemann) Mamas & Papas: Wie wir täglich fröhlich scheitern (Diana, 2011), Bewegt Euch! Die Glücksphilosophie des Achim Achilles (Ludwig, 2012), Restlaufzeit (Eichborn, 2014) and (with Malu Dreyer) Die Zukunft ist meine Freundin (Quadriga, 2015).
He writes freelance for newspapers, magazines, radio stations, online and TV. For RTL, n24, WDR and RBB he comments on politics, for Deutsche Welle he presents the magazine “Quadriga”.
With Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre, in 2013, he received the award “Deutscher Reporterpreis” (category: interview; see www.reporter-forum.de).
Using the pseudonym Achim Achilles, Schumacher writes about (hobby) running in columns for Spiegel Online as well as in books like Achilles’ Verse (Heyne, 2006) and Achilles’ Verse II (Heyne, 2009), Der Lauf-Gourmet (Heyne, 2010), Keine Gnade für die Wade: Neues vom Wunderläufer (Heyne, 2013) and Achilles-Laufkalender (Heyne, annually).
Hajo Schumacher Lecture topics
- Best Ager (Live in old age, demographic change)
- Germany
- Communication and the media
- Engineers
- Movement
- and more…