In its April issue, the magazine named Nobel Prize-winning author Guenter Grass as the number one intellectual in German-speaking countries, with former late-night talk show host Harald Schmidt, whose monologues mercilessly skewer German politicians, running a close second.

Feuding literary duo Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Germany’s top book critic, and author Martin Walser followed in third and fourth place, respectively.

Next were Austrian author Peter Handke, philosopher Juergen Habermas, songwriter Wolf Biermann, Austrian Nobel prizewinner Elfriede Jelenik, feminist journalist Alice Schwarzer, and playwright Botho Strauss.

The author of works such as "The Tin Drum" and "Cat and Mouse," Grass was quick to discount the list.

People like Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann and soccer great Franz Beckenbauer are just as important to German intellectual life as authors, he said.

Grass also noted the ubiquitous presence of TV presenter and comic Thomas Gottschalk, whom he called "the guy with the gummi bears." "In reality, these are our often our most prominent intellectual figures," Grass said.

Published since March 2004, "Cicero" presents essays and reportage by well-known German authors from politics, business and society.
Republished with permission from "The Week in Germany"