Attila Hildmann
Attila Klaus-Peter Hildmann[1] (born 22 April 1981) is a German cookbook author, specializing in vegan recipes, and conspiracy theorist.
Attila Hildmann | |
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Hildmann cooking at Veggie Street Day in Dortmund, 2010 | |
Born | Attila Klaus-Peter Hildmann 22 April 1981 Berlin, Germany |
Nationality | German |
Education | Free University of Berlin |
Occupation | Cookbook author |
Website | attilahildmann.com |
Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Hildmann has been perceived and criticized as a propagator of conspiracy ideologies around the virus infection. Repeatedly, Hildmann's erratic argumentation and statements were perceived as extreme right-wing and anti-Semitic. He made use of various ideas from the spectrum of Reich citizens and publicly threatened to commit crimes. As a result, business partners distanced themselves, Hildmann's social media channels were closed due to statements made there. This led to criminal charges and investigations by police and state security.[2]
Biography
Born in Berlin, Hildmann is of Turkish ancestry and was raised by German adoptive parents. He lives in Berlin,[3] where he studied for an advanced degree in physics at the Free University of Berlin.[4]
Hildmann first turned to vegetarianism after witnessing his adoptive father die of a heart attack while on a ski trip in 2000.[5] He attributed his father's untimely death to excessive meat consumption, with consequent high cholesterol, and he himself was obese as a young man. He renounced meat and fish products, and began to exercise regularly, dropping 35 kilos. Over time, he renounced almost all animal products (with exceptions, e.g. leather[6]) and became primarily vegan.
In 2009, Hildmann wrote his first vegan cookbook. In 2012, his Vegan for Fun was named cookbook of the year by the Vegetarierbund Deutschland, the German branch of the International Vegetarian Union.[7]
Hildmann appears in YouTube videos and has been featured in numerous television programs and talk shows, including Maischberger, TV total, the ZDF's Volle Kanne, the SWR's Nachtcafé, and the WDR's daheim + unterwegs. In March 2016, he was a contestant in the TV show Let's Dance.[8]
In April 2017, Hildmann participated on the TV show Schlag den Star against Luke Mockridge.
Controversies and conspiracy theories
In 2015, Hildmann commented on the European migrant crisis, stating: "Integration in Germany is a sensitive issue because of the German past, resulting in a current self-mutilation of German values and culture." This remark was criticized on a BR public radio broadcast as a "symbiosis of right-wing extremism with boundless love for animals."[9]
Hildmann has spread conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[10] In June 2020, Hildmann shared anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, calling himself a German nationalist and saying that Jews wanted 'to exterminate the German race'.[11] His public sharing of these views have resulted in German police pursuing criminal charges against him and loss of revenue; brands he served as spokesman for have severed ties with him.[12]
He has also accused the German state of working in the service of Bill Gates to promote forced COVID-19 vaccinations and a surveillance state.[13]
Works
- Attila Hildmann (2009), Vegan-Kochbuch. Cholesterinbewusst, laktosefrei und klimafreundlich kochen (in German), Vol. 1, Aachen: Shaker Media, ISBN 978-3-86858-217-8
- Attila Hildmann (2009), Vegan-Kochbuch. Cholesterinbewusst, laktosefrei und klimafreundlich kochen (in German), Vol. 2, Aachen: Shaker Media, ISBN 978-3-86858-502-5
- Attila Hildmann (2010), Vegan-Kochbuch. Cholesterinbewusst, laktosefrei und klimafreundlich kochen (in German), 3 Norderstedt: Books on Demand, ISBN 978-3-8423-3835-7.
- Attila Hildmann (2011), Vegan for Fun. Vegane Küche die Spaß macht (in German), Hilden Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-938100-71-4.
- Attila Hildmann (2012), Vegan for Fit. Attila Hildmanns 30-Tage-Challenge. Vegetarisch und cholesterinfrei zu einem neuen Körpergefühl (in German), Hilden: Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-938100-81-3
- Attila Hildmann (2013), Vegan for Youth. Die Attila Hildmann Triät. Schlanker, gesünder und messbar jünger in 60 Tagen (in German), Hilden: Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-938100-91-2
- Attila Hildmann (2014), Vegan to Go. Schnell, einfach, lecker (in German), Hilden: Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95453-101-1
- Attila Hildmann (2015) (in German), Vegan for Starters. Die einfachsten und beliebtesten Rezepte aus vier Kochbüchern, Hilden, Beck Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-954530-93-9
- Attila Hildmann (2015) (in German), Vegan Italian Style. Moderne italienische Küche, Hilden, Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95453-111-0.
- Attila Hildmann (2016) (in German), Vegan Smoothies, Shakes, and Ice Cream - Green Smoothies und Superfoods in ihrer leckersten Form aus der Bestsellerküche von Attila Hildmann, Hilden, Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95453-121-9.
- Attila Hildmann (2016) (in German), Vegan for Fit Gipfelstürmer - Die 7-Tage-Detox-Diät, Hilden, Becker Joest Volk Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95453-131-8.
References
- Hildmann states his middle name at 10'10" in "Vegan – Kochkurs mit Attila" (in German). BRAINPOOL Artist & Content Services GmbH. 2011-11-09. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- "Wikipedia DE - Atilla Hildmann".
- Die Zeit Nr. 6, 4.
- Giesela Gross (2013-04-18). "Student und Starkoch" (in German). Freie Universität Berlin. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- SPIEGEL, DER. "Vegan for fit: Interview mit Attila Hildmann - DER SPIEGEL - Gesundheit". www.spiegel.de.
- Schneeberger, Ruth. "Interview mit Vegan-Koch Attila Hildmann". Süddeutsche.de.
- Vegan for Fun gewinnt Auszeichnung zum Kochbuch des Jahres 2012 Archived May 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- "Let's Dance 2016: Kochbuchautor Attila Hildmann muss in Show drei das Tanzparkett räumen". rtl.de.
- "Rechts und vegan - Wieso Neonazis Welpen mögen… und Hitler.
- "More than 130 detained after protests against coronavirus restrictions in Germany". Euronews. 10 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- "Attila Hildmann gibt Juden die Schuld – und verteidigt Hitler". www.tagesspiegel.de.
- "German Celebrity Chef Facing Potential Criminal Charges Over Antisemitic Rants on Social Media". Algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-vaccine-anti-vaxx-germany/2020/07/02/da7efc7e-acba-11ea-a43b-be9f6494a87d_story.html
External links
- Literature for and by Attila Hildmann in the catalog of the Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
- Attila Hildmann's official website