Early Life and Education of Werner Herzog: A Complete Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Werner Herzog, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Werner Herzog is a highly influential German filmmaker celebrated for his unique cinematic style and exploration of ambitious, often troubled, characters. A key figure in New German Cinema, Herzog's work frequently depicts individuals driven by impossible dreams, those with niche expertise, or those battling the forces of nature. His distinctive approach involves eschewing traditional storyboarding, fostering improvisation, and immersing his team in authentic environments reflective of the film's subject matter, resulting in raw and compelling narratives.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

September 1942: Birth and Early Life in Sachrang

In September 1942, Werner Herzog was born in Munich, German Reich. Two weeks later, his mother sought refuge in Sachrang, a remote Bavarian village, after a bombing raid. He grew up without modern amenities and without films.

September 1942: Werner Herzog Born

On 5 September 1942, Werner Herzog was born Werner Stipetić in Munich, German Reich, to Elisabeth Stipetić and Dietrich Herzog.

1971: Avoided LANSA Flight 508

In 1971, while scouting locations for Aguirre, the Wrath of God in Peru, Herzog narrowly avoided taking LANSA Flight 508 due to a cancelled reservation.

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1973: Birth of Son Rudolph Amos Achmed

In 1973, Werner Herzog and Martje Grohmann had a son named Rudolph Amos Achmed.

1974: Walk From Munich to Paris

In the winter of 1974, Herzog walked from Munich to Paris to visit the gravely ill Lotte H. Eisner, keeping a diary during the three-week journey that was later published as Of Walking in Ice.

1978: Ate His Shoe

In 1978, when the film Gates of Heaven premiered, Herzog cooked and publicly ate his shoe after promising to do so if Errol Morris completed a film project on pet cemeteries.

1980: Birth of Daughter Hanna Mattes

In 1980, Werner Herzog and Eva Mattes had a daughter named Hanna Mattes.

1989: Birth of Son Simon

In 1989, Werner Herzog and Christine Maria Ebenberger had a son named Simon.

1996: Move to Los Angeles

In 1996, Werner Herzog moved to Los Angeles.

2006: Shot During BBC Interview

In 2006, while giving an interview on Grizzly Man to Mark Kermode of the BBC on Skyline Drive in Los Angeles, Herzog was shot in the abdomen by a crazed fan with an air rifle but continued the interview.

2009: Founded Rogue Film School

In 2009, Herzog founded his own Rogue Film School, expressing a preference for students with life experience outside of academia.

2009: Inauguration of Rogue Film School

In 2009, Werner Herzog began organizing the Rogue Film School, a cinema workshop where young directors spent a few days with him in evocative locations.

2015: Shooting Salt and Fire

In 2015, Herzog shot a feature film, Salt and Fire, in Bolivia, starring Veronica Ferres, Michael Shannon, and Gael García Bernal.

2016: Final Session of Rogue Film School

Werner Herzog concluded the Rogue Film School in 2016, after several years of workshops for young directors.

2018: "Filming in Peru with Werner Herzog" Workshop

In 2018, Werner Herzog held "Filming in Peru with Werner Herzog", a 12-day workshop in the Amazonian rainforest for new filmmakers, where each made a short film under his supervision.