Heribert Prantl

Heribert Prantl (born 30 July 1953, in Nittenau) is a German journalist and jurist. He is the head of the domestic policy department of the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Prantl was born in Nittenau in Bavaria on 30 July 1953. A stipendiary of the Catholic "Cusanuswerk", he studied law, philosophy and history at the University of Regensburg and earned his juris doctor. Afterwards he studied journalism and worked as a judge as well as a public prosecutor.

In 1988, Prantl started working for the Süddeutsche Zeitung in the department for domestic policy with focus on legal policy. In 1992 he was promoted to deputy head of the department and 1995 he became the head of the department where he works until today.

Considered a social liberal by many, Prantl has achieved a reputation of being a defender of a liberal and cosmopolitan society that respects the basic rights of all people.

Heribert Prantl (2013)

Apart from his work as a journalist, Prantl is a critically acclaimed author of political commentary, especially concerning basic liberties and the rule of law. He also appears often on ARD radio stations as a commentator for current domestic affairs.

Prantl is also a lecturer for journalism at the Akademie für Publizistik in Hamburg and at the Institut zur Förderung publizistischen Nachwuchses in Munich as well as a member of the PEN center of Germany. Since 2002 he is lecturer for law at the University of Bielefeld and since 2004 he is on the advisory board of "Pro Justitia". He is also a member of the senate of the "Deutsche Nationalstiftung".

• 1983: Science award of the University of Regensburg and the House of Thurn und Taxis for studies in law and economics
• 1989: Editorial award of the journalistic foundation Der Tagesspiegel
• 1992: Journalism award of the Deutscher Anwaltverein (German lawyers' association)
• 1994: Geschwister-Scholl-Preis for his book „Deutschland, leicht entflammbar“
• 1996: Kurt-Tucholsky-Preis for journalism
• 1999: Siebenpfeiffer-Preis for freedom and democratic rights
• 2001: Theodor-Wolff-Preis in the category "Essay" for his comment "Lob der Provinz" (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 1 April 2000)
• 2004: Rhetoric award for the "speech of the year" by the University of Tübingen
• 2006: Erich-Fromm-Preis (together with Hans Leyendecker)
• 2006: Arnold-Freymuth-Preis
• 2007: Roman-Herzog-Medienpreis
• 2008: Goldener Prometheus for political journalism, awarded by the magazine V.i.S.d.P.
• 2008: Puk-Preis for cultural journalism, awarded by the Deutscher Kulturrat
• 2008: Ketteler-Preis of the foundation 'Zukunft der Arbeit und der sozialen Sicherung' (ZASS)
• 2009: Justice medal of Bavaria
• 2010: Cicero-Rednerpreis (orator's award)
• 2012: Brüder-Grimm-Preis der Philipps-Universität Marburg

• "Dokumentation Erich-Fromm-Preis 2006" (in German). Radio Luma. Retrieved 2009-10-26. 
• "Heribert Prantl erhält den Brüder Grimm-Preis 2012". Philipps-Universität Marburg. 2012-12-20. Retrieved March 9, 2013.