Gerd Ruge


Gerd Ruge is a German journalist, author and filmmaker.

Life and work

Ruge was born in Hamburg in 1928. His career in journalism began in 1949 at NWDR, concentrating on radio reporting from abroad.
Ruge was the first news correspondent for the German national television broadcaster ARD in Moscow from 1956 until 1959, served as the ARD correspondent in the United States between 1964 and 1969, becoming the chief political correspondent for ARD in 1970. From 1973 until 1976 he reported for the newspaper Die Welt from Beijing. He subsequently worked for ARD and WDR in various functions, including as head of the ARD Studios in Moscow from 1987 until 1993. Ruge retired from ARD in September 1993.
In 1961, Ruge, together with Felix Rexhausen und Carola Stern, founded the German section of Amnesty International in Cologne. In 1963, together with Klaus Bölling, he started the ARD programme Weltspiegel From 1981 to 1983, he was the moderator of the ARD magazine programme Monitor. With Helmut Markwort, he moderated the 3sat discussion programme NeunzehnZehn. Under the same title Ruge NeunzehnZehn this programme is moderated by Nina Ruge; these two are not related, though.
Since 2002, the Gerd Ruge-Stipendium is awarded to makers of documentary films. Ruge presides over the jury of eight. Ruge was awarded the Otto Hahn Peace Medal in 1999.

Important reports