Background
Michael Hamburger was born on March 22, 1924, in Berlin, Germany; the elder son and third of the four children of Richard Hamburger, a physician and professor, and Lili M. (Hamburg) Hamburger.
Deans Yard, 17A, London SW1P 3PB, United Kingdom
Michael Hamburger studied at Westminster School.
Christ Church, St. Aldates,Oxford, OX1 1DP, United Kingdom
Michael Hamburger got a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Christ Church, Oxford.
Michael Hamburger was born on March 22, 1924, in Berlin, Germany; the elder son and third of the four children of Richard Hamburger, a physician and professor, and Lili M. (Hamburg) Hamburger.
Michael Hamburger studied at Westminster School. He also got a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Christ Church, Oxford.
Hamburger is known for his critical works, including collections of essays and personal reflections. His own poetry treats such topics as war and those lost in it, the Holocaust, being Jewish in the post-war era, love and hate, and other personal experiences.
His firmly established place among contemporary poets and critics notwithstanding, Hamburger remained most esteemed for his diligence and proficiency in resurrecting German authors for English readers. His collected translations of Friederich Hölderlin and Hugo von Hofmannsthal are considered definitive.
Michael’s collections of poetry include Flowering Cactus and Collected Poems. He also published a memoir, A Mug’s Game, which he later revised into A String of Beginnings. Hamburger was also an author of critical work on modern poetry, The Truth of Poetry.
Hamburger began the career of a freelance writer in 1948. Four years later, he was appointed at the University of London, University College as an assistant lecturer in German. From 1955 to 1964 Michael worked at the University of Reading, first, began as lecturer, and then became a reader in German. He also served as a lecturer at Mount Holyoke College, and a visiting professor at State University of New York, University of South Carolina and Boston University.
Michael Hamburger was a member of Royal Society of Literature, Akademie der Kuenste, Deutsche Akademie fuer Sprachc und Dichtung and Bayerische Akademie der Schoenen Kuenste.
Michael Hamburger married Anne Beresford, an actress, musician, and poet, on July 28, 1951. They had three children - Mary Anne, Richard Benedict and Claire Miranda.