Marion Gräfin Dönhoff, born in Friedrichstein in East Prussia in 1909, studied economics in Frankfurt and Basel and managed her family's property in East Prussia until 1945. Her career as a journalist began after she fled to the West. As writer, editor and then editor-in-chief, she strongly shaped the weekly paper ›Die Zeit‹ right up until her death in 2002. Marion Gräfin Dönhoff was honoured with numerous awards in recognition of her work, including the ›Peace Prize of the German Book Trade‹.