Hans Traxler, influential German caricaturist, dies at 97

German caricaturist, author, and illustrator Hans Traxler has died at the age of 97. He passed away on August 24 in Frankfurt am Main, according to announcements from the Caricatura Museum Frankfurt and the city of Frankfurt on behalf of his family.

Traxler was a co-founder of the influential satire magazines ‘Pardon’ and ‘Titanic’. He was widely recognized for his political caricatures, most notably for contributing to the nickname ‘Birne’ (Pear) for former Chancellor Helmut Kohl during the 1980s.

Born in 1929 in Northern Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Traxler moved to Frankfurt in 1951 after studying at the Städelschule. While his political work was significant, he also maintained a prolific career as a book illustrator and author of children's literature, seeking to create works that would leave a lasting legacy beyond daily topical satire.