Profile of Heinrich Harrer on Famous Like Me

Heinrich Harrer (born July 6, 1912 in Hüttenberg) is an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer and author.

He competed at the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936 in the combined Alpine skiing competition. Harrer made the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, Switzerland with Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek and Ludwig Vorg on July 24, 1938. This climb is recounted in the book The White Spider.

With the rise of the Nazi party in Austria, Harrer became a member of the SS. Austria had become part of Germany in March of that year, and with the start of World War II, Harrer was interned in 1939 by British colonial authorities during an expedition to climb Nanga Parbat in British India (present-day Pakistan). He escaped in 1944 with Peter Aufschnaiter into Tibet, where he spent seven years and became a friend of the young Dalai Lama.

He documented his experiences there in Seven Years in Tibet and Lost Lhasa. The 1997 film bearing the first of those titles is based on his writing . In 1952 he returned to Europe and later on took part in a number of ethnographic as well as mountaineering expeditions:

Harrer recorded first ascents of Mount Deborah and Mount Hunter, Alaska in 1954. In 1962 he was the leader of the team of four climbers who made the first ascent of the Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jayadikesuma) in western New Guinea, the highest peak in Oceania.

According to "Harrer has received numerous honors, including the Gold Humboldt Medal and the Explorers Club Medal for his many expeditions and explorations. He has written over 20 books and received credit on over 40 film productions. His body of work spans five decades of exploration over six continents. In addition, Heinrich Harrer has become widely known as an outspoken advocate of human rights". Also of note, "Heinrich Harrer and the exiled Dalai Lama remain steadfast friends".

Bibliography

• Seven years in Tibet, 1953.
• Lost Lhasa
• The White Spider
• Ladakh Gods and Mortals Behind the Himalayas
• Return to Tibet
• Denk ich an Bhutan, June 2005 (When I think of Bhutan)

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