Karl Holzamer was born in Frankfurt am Main and after the abitur in 1926 studied philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, and German at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the Sorbonne, the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main and the University of Bonn. In 1929, he was awarded his Ph.D. from Munich. After university he applied to the Pedagogic Academy in Bonn and did his First Examination as a Volksschullehrer. His reason for becoming a teacher was, according to him: "If you want to educate as a Volksschule teacher, then you have to go to Volksschule yourself." In 1931, Holzamer was co-publisher of the magazine "Stimmen der Jugend" in Düsseldorf. Within a short time, he became an assistant at the Psychological Institute of the University of Bonn and in November 1931 became assistant in the psychological department of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk. In politics he got involved in the "Reichsjugendausschuss" of the Zentrumspartei. Parallel to his occupations, an application to become a professor was started.
Third Reich
After the Machtergreifung, Holzamer had to end his political engagement. At his broadcaster, his boss and the director general were laid-off, so he had to lead the educational department on his own, then the agricultural department because of no party membership to the NSDAP, the language department and confessional morning celebrations. The last post existed still in 1937 at the previously-renamed "Reichsender Köln" despite an order not to have such a department. At the beginning of World War II, Holzamer was drafted into the army. He came as an air-gunner into the Luftwaffe and became war reporter for audio news. At the end of WW II, he was a prisoner-of-war of the French, where he worked as a translator.
Educational life
Karl Holzamer handed in his application as professor at the Prussian Cultural Ministry. Because Holzamer was the only one of 49 people with practical experience, he was from 1949 to 1960 the Chairman.
ZDF
Karl Holzamer was recommended by then-Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in 1960 as director general of the proposed private television "Freies Fernsehen Gesellschaft". The board of directors rejected the recommendation. As a CDU candidate - where he had the overwhelming approval of the rival SPD -he was elected director general by the television council of the ZDF, the successor of the FFG. He was re-elected twice. In 1977, he retired. His successor in the post was Karl-Günther von Hase. Wim Thoelke, a prominent former television host, said of the time of Holzamer at the ZDF: "Karl Holzamer was a man of vitalizing optimism, as well as highly intelligent and critical in a positive kind of manner. Without him, it would impossible for the ZDF to be successful." Holzamer co-created the Aktion Sorgenkind, a German humanitarian organization, by extending its cause well beyond the television showVergißmeinnicht. Holzamer was an honorary member of club KStV Kurpfalz Mainz im KV.
Private life
Karl Holzamer married in 1932 his fiance Helene, with whom he had four children. Helene died in 1992.
