Peter Fraenkel (journalist)


Peter J. Fraenkel is a journalist and author who was controller of European services for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He was born in Breslau but following Nazi oppression of the Jews, he left for Northern Rhodesia with his parents in 1939. He worked there in broadcasting before leaving for London in 1957 when he began his career in Reuters and then the BBC. He has described with irony his transition from "sub-human Jew in Nazi Germany... to White master race in British colonial Africa".

Early life

Peter Fraenkel was born in Breslau on 7 December 1926. His father was a German civil servant who received the Iron Cross for his heroism under fire during the First World War. As German oppression of Jews grew in the 1930s, Fraenkel's mother pleaded with her husband to leave the country but he only agreed after Kristallnacht in 1938. The family had visas for Swaziland and Northern Rhodesia but chose the later as it was thought to be wealthier and in 1939 they departed for Northern Rhodesia by sea via South Africa. They settled in Lusaka and Fraenkel's father opened a dry cleaning company with a friend. Peter Fraenkel was educated at Lusaka Boys' school.
Fraenkel studied English and history at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and became involved with the anti-apartheid movement. He was selected for a tour of English universities and ironically selected to debate in favour of apartheid. He lost but was offered a job by a South African public relations officer which he declined.
In his autobiography No fixed abode, he described with irony his transition from "sub-human Jew in Nazi Germany... to White master race in British colonial Africa".

Early career

Fraenkel's first job was as an accounts clerk for the registrar of co-operative societies. He then left that to work as an assistant broadcasting officer for Central African Broadcasting Services in Lusaka where he created a fictional mining compound to get development messages across using local actors. The venture was described in Wayaleshi.

London

In 1957, Fraenkel left Africa for London, working first for Reuters and then the BBC where he was first wrote scripts, he then became Greek Programme organiser and later the Head of the East European Services and lastly Controller of European Services from 1979-86.

Selected publications