Overview
- Publisher Beltz, citing his son, announced that Heine died on November 20 in Russell, New Zealand, a confirmation also given to Bayerischer Rundfunk.
- Heine authored and illustrated more than 50 books, with signature works including the modern classic 'Freunde' and the visual design of the dragon Tabaluga in collaboration with Peter Maffay.
- His titles sold in the millions and were translated into roughly 30 to 35 languages, underscoring a lasting international reach.
- Born in Berlin in 1941, he began publishing in 1976 after creative work in South Africa and had lived since around 1990 in Russell with his wife, author Gisela von Radowitz.
- Tributes poured in from collaborators such as Maffay, and reports noted his major honors including the European Youth Book Prize and the Grand Prize of the German Academy for Children's and Young People's Literature; no cause of death was disclosed.