Michael Herde

After spending the exchange year at Maple Heights, I finished my German school and then studied law at the Free University of Berlin. Pretty soon, chaos set in, which was, let’s say, hard to handle. Finding interesting work was the easiest. I started as a political radio journalist in 1969 and have remained that in different capacities until now.

Carolyn Clemens of Maple Heights and I got married in 1969 in Berlin and spend two years in Washington, D.C. where I worked as a correspondent für RIAS Radio in Ber-lin and other stations. Back in Berlin, we got two children, Sebastian and Brit Marie, and a divorce. Hard to believe that the ”children” are now both over 30. When I was around age 40 I managed to stop drinking, and with the help of know-ledgable  people I remained ”dry” up to this day. I watch it. It has worked so far. Both the good relations to my children and my satisfying work life I owe to that big change. 

I had moved out of Berlin in 1982, not knowing that it would be a united city in a uni-ted country before long I joined Radio Bremen 1985 as senior editor for political affairs, responsible first for daily political broadcasts; then again traveling in east-west affairs (summits, other conferences). A high point of my carreer certainly were my many broadcasts from the spot on the fall of the Berlin wall and on other east European developments from Hungary to Poland.

Since 1995, I am responsible at Radio Bremen for a daily feature on events past, on historical, political, social, cultural and sports events that are worthwhile remem-bering. I have about forty writers who moan under me, but we like each other dearly, and their pieces by now are broadcast not only in northern Germany but by quite a few stations especially in the east.

In rereading this, it sound a little stuffy. Well, well. My life has not been that at all. It was difficult, painful sometimes, but it also had many wonderful and miraculous features. I have lived alone for more that 20 years, but I have wonderful friends, and I have no complaints as far as that is concened.

I still feel very close to the United States and its people, and I have never forgotten my year at Maple Heights High School. Some of the pictures on this website bring back fond memories. If anybody wants to drop me a line sometime, I’ll be very glad.

Contact information is:

 michael.herde@gmx.de