1970

February 1970:

Release of the LP KNEF  – her best album, in her opinion.

March 30, 1970:

German magazine “Jasmin” begins its advance publication for Der geschenkte Gaul (titled “Menschenskind”); Hildegard Knef receives DM 370,000 for the preprint rights, although about 150 pages of the books have not yet been delivered to her publisher.

May 1970:

After finishing her work on the book, Knef and her family spend 3 months at a friend’s house near St Tropez, France ; her publisher Fritz Molden visits her in early July and hands over the first printed copy.

August 4, 1970:

Her first book, Der geschenkte Gaul – Bericht aus einem Leben, is published in Germany; it becomes a phenomenal success (reaching the number one spot on the bestseller list of “Der Spiegel”) and sells approximately 280,000 copies within the first 6 weeks; Knef receives a basic fee of DM 250,000 plus 17 % of each copy sold above 100,000; the book will eventually be translated into 17 languages and becomes an international success, too (in 2002, worldwide sales are estimated at around 4 million); in the US, the English version (translated by her husband David Anthony Palastanga),The Gift Horse, spends a whole year on the bestseller list of the New York Times, 18 weeks alone at number one; in the UK, the book reaches number 2, just ten days after publication.

September 1970:

Hildegard Knef presents her book at the Frankfurt book fair; in 6 further presentations throughout Germany she reaches a total of 3,000 book sellers, each of whom was sent a specimen copy including a recording with Knef reading excerpts; in autumn and winter, she continues promotion with book-signings and readings in 26 towns in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (reaching Berlin on October 20); in 1984, Fritz Molden says in his book, “Der Konkurs”, Knef did more than 200 of such events, signing about 60,000 copies - resulting in calluses on her hands.

October 20, 1970:

“Bunte” magazine publishes a survey to determine Germany’s most popular singers; Hildegard Knef is at number 6 with 48 % having a positive opinion about her, 30 % are negative and 22 % are undecided; Udo Jürgens is the number one star (71 % positive, 15 % negative, 14 % undecided).

November 1970:

Release of the double album Der geschenkte Gaul – a reading of excerpts by Knef.

1971

January 1971:

In a private clinic in Munich , Hildegard Knef has to undergo a blood transfusion, due to postnatal complications.

First half of 1971:

Promotes her book throughout Europe ( Helsinki , Stockholm , Copenhagen , Amsterdam , Brussels , Paris ).

June 1971:

Begins a PR tour in the US for The Gift Horse; appears on the David Frost Show and twice on the Dick Cavett Show (34 TV appearances altogether); at a reception in her honour at the German embassy, ambassador Rolf Pauls says, “What you accomplished in just one week, we didn’t achieve in 25 years.”

June 27, 1971:

Takes part in New York City ’s Gay Pride march.

Summer 1971:

Guest of honour at the annual conference of the American TV academy.

August 21, 1971:

In an interview with the magazine “Das Neue Blatt” she says, “I am fed up with doing theatre, films and concerts. (…) I don’t care anymore for this superficial work”.

September 3, 1971:

Concert appearance at the annual Garden Party by federal president Gustav Heinemann at Berlin ’s Schloss Bellevue, on the night of the signing of the Berlin Four-Power Agreement.

October 1971:

Knef’s new album, Worum geht’s hier eigentlich?, is released immediately after an accompanying TV show, Ich brauch Tapetenwechsel, got on the air; shortly afterwards her record company, Decca, ends the DM 2 million contract with her.

Autumn 1971:

The “British Translator’s Association” awards her husband David Anthony Palastanga with the “Schlegel Tieck prize” for his English translation of Der geschenkte Gaul.

December 1971:

Her daughter Christina is being treated in a Hamburg hospital for a connective tissue disorder caused by preterm birth; temporarily, the family moves to Hamburg ’s Pöseldorf district, Harvestehuder Weg 19.

December 29, 1971:

US film magazine “Variety” quotes Hildegard Knef as saying, “I shall never do another movie unless poverty forces me to”.

1972

April 1972:

In Samedan , Switzerland , Knef writes the preface to the book An Outline of Spiritual Healing by her friend, Gordon Turner.

September 1972:

Hildegard Knef’s third book, Ich brauch Tapetenwechsel: Texte, is published – containing 70 song lyrics, poems and short stories written between 1965 and 1972; on October 1^st, “Der Stern” writes a scathing review (“obtrusive perfume” … “platitudinous”).

October 1972:

Her first records on the new Philips label are released: Texte - geschrieben und gelesen, with 32 excerpts from her new book, recited by herself – and the album Und ich dreh’ mich  nochmal um.

November 19, 1972:

In an interview with women’s magazine “Frau im Spiegel”, Knef discloses that for her daughter’s sake she wants to regain German citizenship: “Because I am connected to England just as much as to, say, Thailand . Germany has always been my homeland – and my [English] husband feels, he is by now a German citizen, too.”

December 1972:

Honouring the BBC’s fiftieth birthday, a 7” single, Auntie, is released in several European countries (though not in the UK ), featuring Knef, Vicky Leandros, Demis Roussos, among others.

1973

April 10, 1973:

The family temporarily relocates to Jagdschloss Hubertushof, the country house of the Prince of Fürstenberg, in Strobl beside Lake St Wolfgang , Austria .

April 18, 1973:

Hildegard Knef suffers from a haemorrhage; her husband rushes her by car to Basle, Switzerland, where she is operated twice: first, her uterus is removed, then – on May 3^rd – parts of her bowel are removed, too, after an acute inflammation of her abdominal cavity led to an intestinal obstruction; the surgery is impaired by problems in blood clotting from which she suffers since the delivery of her child; the doctors considered that second operation as life-threatening; she gets her first strong doses of morphine; shortly afterwards, she is diagnosed as having breast cancer.

April 19, 1973:

Knef `73 is aired on German television, a show featuring many famous contemporaries and companions giving statements on Knef (Willy Brandt, Henry Miller, Carroll Righter among others); Knef herself sings 17 songs; musical director: Hans Hammerschmid.

August 6, 1973:

In Salzburg , her left breast is amputated; in her 1975 book Das Urteil Knef writes, it was the 56 surgical operation in her life; she suffers from burns caused by cobalt irradiation.

Late summer 1973:

The family moves to the “Mühle zum Feld” near Traunkirchen beside Lake Traun , Austria ; the mill – dating from 1449 – is still being converted to a house with about 35 rooms; Knef resumes painting.

Autumn 1973:

She delivers her second novel to publisher Fritz Molden; however, shortly afterwards she destroys the work (ca. 360 pages); in April, 1975, she tells “Stern” magazine that it was a non-autobiographical novel about “two very different men with very different backgrounds”, with one of the characters being a “notorious liar”.

1974

February 1974:

Her album Ich bin den weiten Weg gegangen hits the record stores; its song Ich gebe alles aufis the only song ever released that Knef has written and composed herself.

February 1974:

She begins to write Das Urteil whose first drafts she wrote in the winter of 1973.

Spring 1974:

Shooting for a 90-minute TV show in Holland and a 2-hour personality show in Belgium .

Summer 1974:

Hilde Heilmaier, a Bavarian spiritual healer, claims to have made contact to a Lord Mikaal, said to have been a dead re-incarnation of the archangel Michael, and she puts Knef on a “diet on cosmic rays” (fasting for a day, no drinking); she thus manages to relieve her from post-operative pains.

October 1974:

Convalescent Knef shoots the TV show Hildegard Knef und ihre Lieder in Traunkirchen, Gmunden and environs; the show is aired on April 12, 1975.

1975

January 13, 1975:

In Vienna , the German ambassador to Austria awards her the “Bundesverdienstkreuz Erster Klasse” (Federal Cross of Merit, First Class) for her “merits to Germany ’s appreciation in the world”.

March 23, 1975:

An article in the “Welt am Sonntag” newspaper reveals that her surgeries in summer were related to cancer – although the German press had covered Knef’s hospitalisation extensively, the word “cancer” was never mentioned; in an interview as late as September 1975, Hildegard Knef herself tells “Bunte” magazine, “As we still don’t know what kind of condition I have, I cannot call myself healed.”

June 1975:

Publication of her book Das Urteil oder Der Gegenmensch (working title: “Judgement of God”); the first print has a circulation of 120,000 copies; in the book, Knef recalls her suffering from cancer and critically describes the way she has been treated by doctors; this subject causes a controversy in the German press with many asking if it is acceptable to talk publicly about cancer; advance excerpts of the book were published in “Stern” magazine, in a series starting April 30, 1975 (costing “Stern” DM 360,000 – of which Knef received 90 %); illegally obtained passages were published by competing magazines “Bunte” and “Quick” before April 30; the book is translated into 15 languages.

June 1975:

A double LP with a reading of excerpts by Knef is released.

• Promotes the book in several countries, among them the US (TV interviews with Rex Reed and Barbara Walters).

August 1975:

The LP Applaus is released – an album featuring songs from American musicals (translated into German by Gerhard Bronner).

September 10, 1975:

In Berlin’s Wedding district, shooting starts for her first movie in 8 years, Jeder stirbt für sich allein, of which Knef says, “It will probably be my last film”; in the coming months she lives in suite “Bellevue”, No. 1148/1150 of Kempinski Hotel whose owner, Rudolf Münster, is a friend of hers; she suffers heavily from morphine detoxification – the press gets wind of it, resulting in headlines such as “Knef a drug addict?”, “Evil rumours about her state of mind”.

October 24, 1975:

The German press reports in lurid detail that Knef threw out her husband from her hotel suite; they quarrelled about bad contract conditions for the international rights to Das Urteil which David Cameron had negotiated without consulting Knef; moreover, Cameron demanded to leave the suite with their common child; as a result, a bodyguard is posted in front of the door.

1976

January 1976:

The book’s English edition, The Verdict, reaches Number 2 on the US bestsellers’ list.

January 21, 1976:

Grand première of Jeder stirbt für sich allein at Berlin ’s “Filmbühne Wien” cinema; the film fails with critics and audiences (Knef herself considered it one of her best movies); asked on opening night, Knef denies any intention of divorce.

February 6, 1976:

In an interview with “Bild”, Knef discloses that she has moved back to the “Mühle” – together with husband David; asked whether they have reconciled, she answers, “That doesn’t work just like that, after the kind of fights we’ve had, does it? In 16 [sic] years of marriage a potential for tension builds up which has to slowly dissipate first. – Question: No divorce then? – Knef: Let’s say, the matter’s put on ice.” (The divorce is executed 4 months later).

• At the international film festival in Karlovy Vary , then Czechoslovakia , she is awarded the “Golden Reel” as best actress in Jeder stirbt für sich allein.

• In San Francisco , The Verdict – again, translated by her husband David Anthony Palastanga – is awarded the Mark Twain Prize; the trophy later gets stolen.

June 4, 1976:

After 14 years of marriage the couple is divorced by a court in Wels , Austria .

June 1976:

While moving away from the mill beside Lake Traun, she makes the acquaintance of baron Paul von Schell zu Bauschlott, an American citizen and Hungarian exile; Schell – 15 years her junior – had worked as actor in minor parts, as dubbing actor, translator, and was once an assistant to film director Robert Aldrich; together with him and her consultant, American Robert Kingsley, Knef moves to a 300 square meter flat in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Clausewitzstraße 4 (3^rd floor); in summer 1977, she and Paul relocate to a 14-room villa in Berlin-Grunewald, Bettinastraße; during those months, she is in constant fear that her former husband David might take Christina away from her.

• Knef records a reading of The Rights of Children, for UNICEF.

August 1976:

The album Bei dir war es immer so schön is released – an LP with new versions of famous German standards.

November 1976:

Hildegard Knef meets reknowned clairvoyant Gabriele Hoffmann for the first time.

December 1976:

Schell proposes to Knef to become his wife.

1977

January 1977:

Just 5 months after her last album, the LP Lausige Zeiten is released; the record sells poorly.

January 1977:

Guest at the international press ball in Berlin .

April 1977:

Fritz Molden, her book publisher, sells 200,000 hard cover copies of Der geschenkte Gaul to coffee shop chain “Eduscho” (a deal worth 1 million D-marks); the books are sold at a price of just DM 7,95.

June 1, 1977:

Marriage to Paul von Schell in Berlin-Charlottenburg; Carroll Righter is one of the witnesses; 8 days before, her ex-husband David also married (Austrian countess Dorothea “Pumpi” Lamberg).

June 1977:

The newly-weds Hildegard and Paul have to spend their honeymoon on the Greek island of Lefkas where Knef shoots Billy Wilder’s last film, Fedora; more shooting work follows at Bavaria studios in Munich, and in Paris; a special make-up injures her eye, requiring surgery.

Summer/Autumn 1977:

Works on her new book, Nichts als Neugier.

August 1977:

Receives the Bundesfilmpreis (Federal Film Prize) for life achievement.

Autumn 1977:

Guest of honour in the TV show Musik ist Trumpf.

October 20, 1977:

A public fight erupts between Knef and her former husband on the upcoming surgery on their daughter Christina; in an interview with “Das Neue Blatt”, Cameron – who rejects the operation’s necessity – criticises Knef harshly: “I deeply despise Hilde for what she’s doing to our child. This way, Tinta will eventually go to the dogs. (…) Only hell can be worse than an abandoned wife”; for her part, Hildegard Knef deplores Cameron’s statements in interviews.

October 1977:

In Bern , Switzerland , 9 year old Christina has to undergo very difficult surgery on her pelvis that takes 9 hours; in 1980, Knef said that those hours made her 10 years older “and that’s the reason why I did my face-lifting.”.

October 27, 1977:

Advance excerpts of Nichts als Neugier are printed in “Bunte” magazine, titled “Beyond Tomorrow”.

December 8, 1977:

Knef and Schell are interviewed by gossip magazine “Das Neue Blatt”; they report that Christina has to be protected by bodyguards day and night; her operation had cost them DM 50,000 altogether; the move to Bettinastraße took another DM 50,000; regarding their running costs, Knef says, “4,000 marks for rent each month, heating charges, expenses for employees, agents and taxes – there’s not much left on our bank account”; Schell adds, “We need money. That is the reason why we didn’t buy our house in Berlin , we’re only renting it. Financially, a buy was out of the question. (…) Tinta’s private teacher is not paid by us, but by the city of Berlin . Why doing without something that every citizen and taxpayer is entitled to?”

• Hildegard Knef falls out with long-time secretary Ingrid Goll and fires her.

1978

January 1978:

Her new album Heimweh-Blues is released, a commerical flop; in August, a book is published under that name featuring texts by Knef (and others) describing paintings by Hans Kossatz.

March 22, 1978:

At Berlin ’s Zoo-Palast, guest at the opening ceremony of the 28 International Film Festival (“Berlinale”).

May 1978:

Her book Nichts als Neugier is published by German publishing house Goldmann; in it, she interrogates several celebrities on the subject of parapsychology: Leni Riefenstahl, Lilli Palmer, Bruno Kreisky, Françoise Sagan, Niki Lauda, Henry Miller (among others).

May 29, 1978:

Knef is present at the première of Fedora at the Cannes film festival; that night, she discovers that her voice had been dubbed by another actress; the film receives bad reviews and is no commercial success either; in an interview in 1995, Knef said about the film, “it is so atrocious – I cannot find words for it.”

July 14, 1978:

Guest at federal president Walter Scheel’s state banquet for US president Jimmy Carter at Schloss Augustusburg, near Bonn .

August 29, 1978:

Her half-brother Heinz Wulfestieg dies in Berlin , aged 43; he was suffering from testicular cancer; shortly before, he survived an assassination attempt, but was badly injured.

October 7, 1978:

Celebrating the 75 birthday of actor colleague Hans Söhnker, she writes the article Unsere Zusammenarbeit war Lachen for TV magazine “Gong”.

October 1978:

Her second album of the year is released, Überall blühen Rosen, on which she sings French chansons in German translation; the LP is a flop.

1979

March 19, 1979:

Knef is hospitalised for gall surgery at Berlin ’s Schlossparkklinik.

June 1979:

Christina’s godmother Vera Kálmán – widow of operetta composer Emmerich Kálmán – announces that after her death she will bestow Christina with a large share of her fortune.

• In Berlin, shooting takes place for the documentary Hildegard Knef’s Berlin from the series “Cities” in which celebrities portray cities close to their heart (e.g. Peter Ustinov – Leningrad, Glenn Gould – Toronto, Melina Mercouri – Athens); it is a project by the Learning Corporation of America intended for US high schools; in 1981, an accompanying book is published.

August 1979:

Release of Eins & Eins, an LP produced in collaboration with Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra.

Autumn 1979:

Tumultous reception for Knef, the guest of honour at the “Berliner Tuntenball” (“pansys ball”); it is her first concert appearance in 10 years; she is accompanied for the first time by pianist and composer Kai Rautenberg; the concert is managed by her new friend and assistant Axel Andree (in later years, author of 2 books on her).

Autumn 1979:

In Berlin , shooting takes place for Warum die Ufos unseren Salat klauen (later re-named Checkpoint-Charly); after its release in April 1980, the film disappears from the screens after just 3 days.

December 11, 1979:

In a 5-hour operation in Lausanne , Switzerland , Hildegard Knef undergoes plastic surgery on her face (after her skin was damaged on the set of Fedora); in an interview with “Bunte” magazine in July 1980, Knef explains, “I owe it to my public that I look presentable when getting on stage.”

December 28, 1979:

Guest appearance on the successful TV detective series Der Alte.