Walter Höllerer was born in Sulzbach-Rosenberg and became a soldier in 1942 during the Second World War. After 1945 he studied philosophy, history, German studies and comparative literature in Erlangen, Göttingen and Heidelberg and in 1949 he earned a Doctor title in Gottfried Keller School. He worked as a lecturer assistant from 1954 to 1958 at the University Frankfurt. In 1954, he attended regular sessions called the 47, which was a group of young German authors who spoke about postwar from the west BRD. During the early 1960s he moderated literature broadcasts on a free broadcasting channel of Berlin. From 1959 to his retirement in 1988 he was a professor of literature studies at UT Berlin. Meanwhile, he looked and researched a lot of professors from the USA. During his research and work he published poems and novels, and put together critical statements for other literature works. In 1954 Höllerer put together the two-month newspaper Akzente, one of the most important literature forums in the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1961 Höllerer published the newspaper Sprache im technischen Zeitalter, in 1963 he brought up Colloquium Berlinto life. Through his hard work as a publisher and critic and a professor at TU Berlin he helped with the era of literature. In 1965 Höllerer married a photographer Renate from Mangoldt, she previously had two sons. In 1977 he founded literary archives in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, which he then embedded the newspaper Akzente into the archives. In 1966 he was honored with the Fontane-Award and in 1993 together with Robert Creeley, the Horst-Bienek-award for lyrics and in 1994 the Rahel-Varnhagen-von-Ense-Medaille from Berlin. He was also honorary citizen and culture award-winning from the city Sulzbach-Rosenberg. Robert Neumann harshly criticized Höllerer's leading role in the group 47 and in the literary scene. He obtained research from Christoph König that Höllerer was a member of the NSDAP in 1941. Höllerer said that he has not gotten any confirmation for being in the NSDAP. Höllerer was laid to rest at the Friedhof Heerstraße in Berlin. His widow Renate donated the archive Sulzbach-Rosenberg as a gift to Walter Höllerers research, which since 2007 has been developed and been researched even more. Since 19 April 2007, the Sulzbach-Rosenberg school changed its name to Walter-Höllerer-Realschule.
Gottfried Kellers "Leute von Seldwyla" als Spiegel einer geistesgeschichtlichen Wende. Eine Studie zur Geschichte der Novelle im 19. Jahrhundert. Erlangen 1949
Zwischen Klassik und Moderne. Lachen und Weinen in der Dichtung einer Übergangszeit. Klett, Stuttgart 1958; new edition: SH, Köln 2005,
Theorie der modernen Lyrik. Dokumente zur Poetik 1. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1965
* Advanced new edition in 2 volumes: Hanser, München 2003,
Modernes Theater auf kleinen Bühnen. Literal Colloquium, Berlin 1965
Literary works
Der andere Gast. Hanser, München 1952
Gedichte. Beigefügt: Wie entsteht ein Gedicht? Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1964
Systeme. Neue Gedichte. Literarisches Colloquium, Berlin 1969
Die Elephantenuhr. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1973, ; Paperback ed. 1975,
Geschichte, die nicht im Geschichtsbuch steht. Kopp, Sulzbach-Rosenberg 1976
Alle Vögel, alle. Eine Komödie in 2 Akten samt einem Bericht und Anmerkungen zum Theater. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1978,
Gedichte 1942–1982. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1982,
Oberpfälzische Weltei-Erkundungen. Weiden 1987,
As editor
Junge amerikanische Lyrik. Hanser, München 1960
Transit. Lyrikbuch der Jahrhundertmitte. Mit Randnotizen. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1956
Movens. Dokumente und Analysen zur Dichtung, bildenden Kunst, Musik, Architektur. Limes, Wiesbaden 1960
Spiele in einem Akt. 35 exemplarische Stücke. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt 1961
Ein Gedicht und sein Autor. Lyrik und Essay. Literal Colloquium, Berlin 1967
Dramaturgisches. Ein Briefwechsel. Literal Colloquium, Berlin 1969
Welt aus Sprache. Auseinandersetzung mit Zeichen und Zeichensystemen der Gegenwart. Art Academy, Berlin 1972
Zurufe, Widerspiele. Aufsätze zu Dichtern und Gedichten. Berlin Scientific Publishing, Berlin 1993,
Films
Literatur im technischen Zeitalter, TV series, 13 films, Sender Freies Berlin, 1961/62, First episode: 13 November 1961
Berlin stellt vor. TV series, 39 films, Sender Freies Berlin, 1962, First episode: 28 May 1962
Modernes Theater auf kleinen Bühnen, TV series, 10 films, Sender Freies Berlin, 1964/65, First episode: 18 November 1964
Der weiße Hopfengarten, 1966
Ein Gedicht und sein Autor, TV series, 11 films, Sender Freies Berlin, 1966/67, First episode: 1 December 1966