Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Stefan Aust

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
After graduating from school with a high school diploma, the son of a farmer studied sociology without a degree. Meanwhile, he attracted attention with his first journalistic works. Aust then became editor of the left-wing newspaper "konkret" in 1966, and from 1970 he was a senior employee of the television station Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). Here he was, among other things, director of the program "Panorama" from 1972 to 1986. Stefan Aust first attracted international attention as a journalist in 1985 with the non-fiction book "The Baader-Meinhof Complex". In May 1988, Aust founded SPIEGEL TV. He also did pioneering work because, in the wake of the privatization of television rights, SPIEGEL TV was the first private political magazine format on German television. The content of the program dealt with a mixture of current economic and political issues. Aust was sometimes seen as the presenter of the show. Meanwhile, the book "Mauss - a German Agent" was published in 1988.

In 1989, Aust was awarded the "Adolf Grimme Prize" in silver for his work. "The Pirate" was also released in 1989. When he was appointed editor-in-chief of the news magazine DER SPIEGEL, under editor Rudolf Augstein, on December 16, 1994, he left the editor-in-chief of SPIEGEL TV. In addition to numerous other book publications, such as the treatment of the terrorist attacks of September 11th caused by Osama bin Laden, he rose to become one of the most prominent journalists in the German and European media. He is interested in domestic politics, particularly law enforcement and police bodies, as well as economic issues. At the beginning of 2005 it was announced that the SPIEGEL boss, together with SPIEGEL TV editor-in-chief Cassian von Salomon and dctp managing director Alexander Kluge, wanted to start a new digital TV channel under the title SPIEGEL TV - XXP Digital in March 2005.

The channel XXP was then sold to Discovery Channel. On January 31, 2005, Aust took over the moderation of the weekly magazine "Zeitreise", which was broadcast as part of the new "Premiere" documentary channel "Discovery Geschichte". In February 2005, Aust was awarded the "Golden Camera" in the "TV Journalism" category. In October 2005, the program "Fall Deutschland", which was created in cooperation between ZDF and SPIEGEL TV, was awarded the "German Television Prize" as "Best Information Program". On July 6, 2007, he resigned from his position as managing director of SPIEGEL TV GmbH and instead became editor of the program. On November 15, 2007, it became known that the shareholders of Spiegel-Verlag had mutually decided not to extend his contract beyond December 31, 2008. On February 5, 2008, Aust was released. Mathias Müller von Blumencron and Georg Mascolo took his place.

From 2009, Aust held a half stake in the agency agenda media GmbH. In the run-up to the 2009 federal election, Aust produced and presented five programs for Sat1 together with Sabine Christiansen. Stefan Aust lives privately with his wife and two children in Hamburg-Blankenese. He runs a riding stable with a Hanoverian stud in Armstorf near Bremervörde. In 2010 he acquired a 26% stake in N24 Media. In 2014, Aust became the new editor of the daily newspaper "Die Welt". In 2016 he received the Ernst Dieter Lueg Prize and in 2018 he was awarded the Lower Saxony State Prize,
BornJuly 1, 1946
BornJuly 1, 1946
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • More at IMDbPro
      • Contact info
      • Agent info
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations total

    Known for

    The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
    The Baader Meinhof Complex
    7.3
    • Writer
    • 2008
    Krieg und Frieden (1982)
    Krieg und Frieden
    7.0
    • Writer
    • 1982
    Die RAF (2007)
    Die RAF
    8.5
    • Writer
    • 2007
    Der Kandidat (1980)
    Der Kandidat
    6.6
    • Writer
    • 1980

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • Die Porsche-Saga
      • book
      • In Development
      • TV Mini Series



    • Stammheim - Zeit des Terrors (2025)
      Stammheim - Zeit des Terrors
      6.1
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2025
    • Angela Merkel in Angela Merkel - Frau Bundeskanzlerin (2021)
      Angela Merkel - Frau Bundeskanzlerin
      TV Series
      • Writer
      • 2021
    • Die Neuvermessung der Welt (2016)
      Die Neuvermessung der Welt
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2016
    • The NSU-Complex (2016)
      The NSU-Complex
      6.3
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2016
    • ZDFzeit (2012)
      ZDFzeit
      6.3
      TV Series
      • Writer
      • 2014
    • 45 Min (2010)
      45 Min
      6.6
      TV Series
      • writer
      • 2014
    • Hitlers Menschenhändler: Juden als Austauschware (2011)
      Hitlers Menschenhändler: Juden als Austauschware
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2011
    • Die Falle 9/11 - Ein Tag, der die Welt veränderte
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2011
    • Der Deutschland-Komplex - 21.915 Tage Bundesrepublik
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2009
    • Revolution! Das Jahr 1968
      • writer
      • 2008
    • The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
      The Baader Meinhof Complex
      7.3
      • book
      • 2008
    • Die RAF (2007)
      Die RAF
      8.5
      • writer
      • 2007
    • Der Pirat (1998)
      Der Pirat
      7.4
      TV Movie
      • book
      • 1998
    • Baader-Meinhof (1986)
      Baader-Meinhof
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 1986
    • Stammheim - The Baader-Meinhof Gang on Trial (1986)
      Stammheim - The Baader-Meinhof Gang on Trial
      6.9
      • Writer
      • 1986

    Director



    • Angela Merkel in Angela Merkel - Frau Bundeskanzlerin (2021)
      Angela Merkel - Frau Bundeskanzlerin
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2021
    • Earthrise - Die Entdeckung des blauen Planeten
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2018
    • The NSU-Complex (2016)
      The NSU-Complex
      6.3
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2016
    • ZDFzeit (2012)
      ZDFzeit
      6.3
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2014
    • 45 Min (2010)
      45 Min
      6.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2014
    • Hitlers Menschenhändler: Juden als Austauschware (2011)
      Hitlers Menschenhändler: Juden als Austauschware
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2011
    • Die Falle 9/11 - Ein Tag, der die Welt veränderte
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2011
    • Der Deutschland-Komplex - 21.915 Tage Bundesrepublik
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2009
    • Revolution! Das Jahr 1968
      • Director
      • 2008
    • Wettlauf um die Welt
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2007
    • Die RAF (2007)
      Die RAF
      8.5
      • Director
      • 2007
    • Der Fall der Mauer (1994)
      Der Fall der Mauer
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 1994
    • Deutscher Herbst - Der Herbst der Terroristen
      TV Mini Series
      • Director
      • 1992
    • Baader-Meinhof (1986)
      Baader-Meinhof
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 1986
    • Sag nein (1983)
      Sag nein
      • Director
      • 1983

    Producer



    • The NSU-Complex (2016)
      The NSU-Complex
      6.3
      TV Movie
      • producer
      • 2016
    • Will Lyman and Sarah Childress in Frontline (1983)
      Frontline
      8.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2005
    • Josef Mengele in Mengele: The Final Account (1995)
      Mengele: The Final Account
      7.3
      • executive producer
      • 1995
    • Deutscher Herbst - Der Herbst der Terroristen
      TV Mini Series
      • producer
      • 1992

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Born
      • July 1, 1946
      • Stade, Germany
    • Other works
      Editor-in-chief of the German print magazine "Der Spiegel". (1985) Book: Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      German journalist.

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.