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DW remembers Christopher Springate

June 17, 2019

For many years, he was a regular face on DW's English news broadcast as a journalist and anchor. Christopher Springate passed away in late May at the age of 53 after a long-term illness.

https://p.dw.com/p/3Kb61
DW News | ehemaliger Moderator Christopher Springate
Image: DW

A distinguished journalist, a consummate moderator, a gifted trainer, a committed project manager, a critical thinker, a sportsman and a good person.

These are some of the answers given by colleagues when asked to describe Christopher Springate, an established name at Deutsche Welle for many years. He was also a longtime pillar of the DW Akademie, Germany's leading organization for international media development.

Christopher passed away at the end of May after a long period of illness. He was 53.

Christopher Springate, born 1965 in Hong Kong, joined Deutsche Welle in 1992. He first worked for DW TV's English channel, where he served as a political correspondent, moderator of DW magazine People and Politics and most recently, an anchor on DW News.

He was able to combine his international background with a profound knowledge of German politics unlike anyone else. Springate embodied — in the best sense of the word — the German and European perspective for which DW stands.

His colleagues in the newsroom particularly appreciated his self-awareness as a team player and his dependability when it really mattered: He handled breaking news situations, such as the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, with his signature expertise and dedication. Despite being on holiday at the time, Christopher did not hesitate to come into the studio to present the news during those crucial first hours: confident, calm and knowledgeable. Just as always.

Christopher also worked for the DW Akademie with the same commitment: First as a trainer, later as a project manager, mostly within the African and Latin American departments.

In addition to English and German, he also spoke French, Portuguese and Spanish, but even more striking was his charm, his unwavering friendliness and his camaraderie. Christopher always demonstrated incredible cultural knowledge wherever he went, whether it was in Sierra Leone and Mozambique or Brazil and Colombia.

As a passionate sportsman, fair play was an integral part of his life philosophy. He was a fan of Chelsea FC and the English national football team. Sport and community were always important to him. It was a blow to Christopher when his physical condition prevented him from being able to play football or being able to work. He was reluctant to talk about his illness and determined to return to DW. Sadly, this was not to be the case.

Christopher Springate will be fondly remembered by his colleagues at Deutsche Welle.