View source for Martin Sonneborn

{{short description|German satirist, journalist and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{COI|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Martin Sonneborn
| office              = [[Party leader#Germany|Leader]] of [[Die PARTEI]]
| deputy              = Peter Mendelsohn
| 1blankname          = {{nowrap|General Secretary}}
| 1namedata           = Thomas Hintner
| predecessor         = ''Office established''
| successor           = 
| term_start          = 2 August 2004
| term_end            = 
| honorific-suffix    = [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]
| image               = Martin Sonneborn MEP (2024).jpg
| caption             = Sonneborn in 2024
| office1             = [[Member of the European Parliament]] <br> for [[Germany]]
| term_start1         = 1 July 2014
| term_end1           = 
| constituency1       = [[Germany (European Parliament constituency)|Germany]]
| birth_name          = Martin Hans Sonneborn
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1965|05|15|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Göttingen]], West Germany
| party               = [[Die PARTEI]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 2
| alma_mater          = [[Communication studies|Communication]]<br> [[German studies|German]] <br> [[Political science]]
| signature           = Martin Sonneborn Signature.svg
| website             = [https://www.martinsonneborn.de/ martinsonneborn.de]
| country             = Germany
}}

'''Martin Hans Sonneborn''' (born 15 May 1965) is a German politician and [[Member of the European Parliament]] (MEP). He is a founder and federal chairman of [[Die PARTEI]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home {{!}} MEPs {{!}} European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/home|website=europarl.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref> He was editor-in-chief of the satirical magazine ''[[Titanic (magazine)|Titanic]]'' from 2000 to 2005 and works for ''[[Spiegel Online]]'' and ''[[ZDF]]''.

== Family and early life ==
Sonneborn grew up with his brother as a son of the career counselor and later [[Federal President of Germany|presidential]] candidate [[Engelbert Sonneborn]] and a housewife.<ref>{{cite web |first=Britta |last=Stuff |url=https://www.morgenpost.de/printarchiv/seite3/article104316186/Der-komische-Mann.html |title=Der komische Mann |work=[[Berliner Morgenpost]] |date=11 July 2010 |access-date=17 October 2023 }}</ref> He went to school in [[Osnabrück]], where he passed the [[Abitur]] exam. After [[Conscription in Germany|military service]] and a successful apprenticeship as an insurance salesman, he studied communication, German and Politics in [[University of Münster|Münster]], [[University of Vienna|Vienna]] and [[Free University of Berlin|Berlin]]. His [[Master degree|master's]] thesis covered the satirical magazine ''[[Titanic (magazine)|Titanic]] and the complete lack of effectivity of satire''. Sonneborn's father was an independent candidate in the 2017 German presidential election.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sophie |last=Krause |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundespraesidentenwahl-martin-sonneborn-bringt-vater-als-kandidaten-ins-spiel-a-1133912.html |title=Martin Sonneborn stellt seinen Vater als Kandidaten auf |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=9 February 2017 }}</ref> Sonneborn has two daughters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Martin Sonneborn - Munzinger Biographie |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/portrait/Martin+Sonneborn/0/26845.html |website=munzinger.de |access-date=4 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schumacher |first1=Hajo |title=Unser Gast vom 22.03.2009 Martin Sonneborn, Satiriker |date=22 March 2009 |url=https://www.dw.com/de/unser-gast-vom-22032009-martin-sonneborn-satiriker/a-4105175 |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=Deutsche Welle |language=de-DE}}</ref>

== Career ==
After undertaking an internship at satirical magazine ''[[Eulenspiegel (magazine)|Eulenspiegel]]'' in 1995, Sonneborn started writing for ''Titanic'', whose editor-in-chief he became in 2000. He was superseded by Thomas Gsella in October 2005, but remained column writer until April 2012. He has been co-editor of ''Titanic'' since 2006.
Sonneborn was staff leader of satirical column ''SPAM'' at ''[[Spiegel Online]]'' since November 2006 and reporter for the satirical TV programme ''[[heute-show]]'' on ''[[ZDF]]'' from May 2009 to September 2014.

On 2 August 2004 Sonneborn founded, along with other editors of ''Titanic'', the satirical political party [[Die PARTEI]], one of whose aims is to rebuild the [[Berlin Wall]]. He has been its chairman since 2004 and was the lead candidate in the [[2011 Berlin state election]]. During the election campaign in 2005 Sonneborn appeared in a number of TV campaign commercials. Along with director Andreas Coerper, Sonneborn filmed a documentary about the party's development and activities from foundation until 2009.

[[File:Martin Sonneborn PARTEI.jpg|thumb|Sonneborn in 2013]]

He regularly holds readings both solo and as part of the trio ''Titanic Boygroup'', together with Thomas Gsella and Oliver Maria Schmitt who preceded Sonneborn as editor-in-chief.

After joining the European Parliament in 2014,<ref name = EuroParl>{{Cite web|title = Martin SONNEBORN|url = http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124834/MARTIN_SONNEBORN_home.html|website = www.europarl.europa.eu|access-date = 23 May 2015}}</ref> he had to quit his jobs at Spiegel Online and ZDF since both companies wanted to stay objective in presenting politics. He is a member of the [[European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education|European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education (CULT)]],<ref name = EuroParl/> member of the [[Korea]]-delegation and substitute of the [[European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control|European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT)]].<ref name = EuroParl/>

In August 2018, Sonneborn met with [[Armenia]]n Prime Minister [[Nikol Pashinyan]], who thanked him for his "pro-Armenian activities within the European Parliament, especially as regards the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".<ref>{{Cite web|title = PM receives European Parliament member Martin Sonneborn|url = https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2018/08/27/Nikol-Pashinyan-meeting-EP/|website = www.primeminister.am|access-date =1 April 2024}}</ref>

In February 2023, Sonneborn was one of 69 first signatories of the [[Manifest für Frieden]] initiated by politician [[Sahra Wagenknecht]] and publicist [[Alice Schwarzer]], which calls for a stop to arms deliveries to [[Ukraine]] and a ceasefire and peace negotiations with [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Angele |first1=Michael |title=Martin Sonneborn über Satire: Tabus brechen? Ist nicht mehr |url=https://www.freitag.de/autoren/michael-angele/martin-sonneborn-ueber-satire-tabus-brechen-ist-nicht-mehr |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=[[Der Freitag]]}}</ref>

[[File:Martin Sonneborn.jpg|thumb|Sonneborn in 2009]]

== Controversy ==
In September 2011 he was criticized by UK media for a blackface Obama billboard "Ick bin ein Obama." (I am an Obama.) in the Berlin election campaign, a satirical reference to a [[Ich bin ein Berliner|speech]] by [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |title=Controversy: Obama in Blackface? Mr. Sonneborn, Tear Down This Billboard |url=http://hypervocal.com/news/2011/controversy-obama-in-blackface-mr-sonneborn-tear-down-this-billboard/ |work=hypervocal.com |date=16 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418062902/http://hypervocal.com/news/2011/controversy-obama-in-blackface-mr-sonneborn-tear-down-this-billboard/ |archive-date=18 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaite.com/online/german-comedian-party-leader-creates-billboard-of-himself-dressed-as-obama-in-blackface/ |first=Alex |last=Alvarez |title=German Comedian / Party Leader Creates Billboard Of Himself Dressed As Obama... In Blackface |work=Mediaite |date=16 September 2011 }}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* ''"Ich tat es für mein Land." Wie TITANIC einmal die Fußball-WM 2006 nach Deutschland holte: Protokoll einer erfolgreichen Bestechung''. Bombus, München 2005, {{ISBN|978-3-936261-37-0}}.
* ''Das PARTEI-Buch: Wie man in Deutschland eine Partei gründet und die Macht übernimmt''. Kiepenheuer & Witsch Verlag, Köln 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-462-04090-6}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goethe.de/ges/pok/sup/en4773582.htm |title=Satire is the best Taskmaster – How to Launch a Political Party and Gain Power |work=goethe.de |date=July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920061305/http://www.goethe.de/ges/pok/sup/en4773582.htm |archive-date=20 September 2012 }}</ref>
* ''Heimatkunde: Eine Expedition in die Zone''. Ullstein Hc, 29. September 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-550-08791-2}}.
* ''Ich will auch mal Kanzler werden''. Kiepenheuer & Witsch Verlag, Köln 2011, {{ISBN|978-34-620-4257-3}}.
* ''Quatsch...und mehr''. Kiepenhauer & Witsch, 2012, {{ISBN|978-3-462-04475-1}}.
* ''Beerdigung von Herrn Krodinger im Biergarten: Ein Schild sagt mehr als 1000 Worte''. Kiepenhauer & Witsch, Köln 2015, {{ISBN|978-3-462-04775-2}}.
* ''Titanic BoyGroup Greatest Hits - 20 Jahre Krawall für Deutschland''. Rowohlt, Berlin 2015, {{ISBN|978-3-87134-818-1}}.

== Filmography ==
* 2008: Heimatkunde<ref>{{IMDb title|1281299|Heimatkunde}}</ref>
* 2009: Die PARTEI<ref>{{IMDb title|1478954|Die Partei}}</ref>
* 2010: The Final Fax<ref>{{IMDb title|1653284|The Final Fax}}</ref>
* 2013: Sonneborn rettet die Welt at [[ZDFneo]]<ref>{{IMDb title|3240746|Sonneborn rettet die Welt}}</ref>
* 2014: Sonneborn rettet die EU at ''[[Der Spiegel (website)|SpiegelOnline]]''
* 2019: Sonneborn Semsrott - Für Europa reicht's

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{imdbname:2354833}}
{{European Parliament MEPs, 2014-2019 (Germany) by party}}{{Current EP Germany}}{{EP Political Group NI}}{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonneborn, Martin}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:German satirists]]
[[Category:German columnists]]
[[Category:German satirical columnists]]
[[Category:German male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Die PARTEI MEPs]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 2014–2019]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 2019–2024]]
[[Category:Der Spiegel people]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Germany]]
[[Category:German male comedians]]
[[Category:Comedians from Lower Saxony]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 2024–2029]]