Oliver Hilmes (born 1971) is a German author who has written several historical biographies. His study of Cosima Wagner, [1] the daughter of the 19th century composer Franz Liszt, and his biography of Alma Mahler, the Viennese-born composer, author, editor, and socialite, have been translated into English. His book about the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin was translated into numerous languages and received literary awards.
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Hilmes was born in Viersen, Germany. He completed his doctorate with Christoph Kleßmann on the history of the twentieth century and has worked for the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation since 2002. As personal advisor to the artistic director Franz Xaver Ohnesorg, he was involved in the introduction of the Berliner Philharmoniker's education programme and the transformation of the orchestra into a foundation. Today he works for the Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation as editor-in-chief of the Phil magazine and as curator for special projects.
Hilmes has written biographies of Alma Mahler-Werfel, Cosima Wagner, [2] [3] Franz Liszt and Bavarian King Ludwig II. [4] His book about the 1936 Berlin Olympics was selected as a Book of the Year by the Financial Times [5] and The Guardian . [6] Tilman Krause, the literary critic of the German daily newspaper Die Welt , wrote of him in 2007, "Er ist das Wunderkind unter den deutschen Biografen" ("He is the Wunderkind among German biographers"). [7]
Hilmes is on the board of the Karg-Elert Society, and between 1996 and 2013 was its executive director; the society promotes the study of the artistic and academic works of composer and music theoretician Sigfrid Karg-Elert. [8]
In 2016, Hilmes discovered the residency card of Richard Friedländer, a German Jew, in Berlin's residence archives, which affirms that Magda Goebbels was his biological daughter. [9]