Hans Jürgen Panitz was born at Ludwigshafen am Rhein. After completing his high school studies he worked at the Bayerischer Rundfunk until 1965, in the programme acquisition and international relationship departments. Since 1968 he has been producer, director and screenwriter for Omega Film and has also been in charge of the acquisition and sale of movies and television rights. In 1970, he met Luis Trenker. From then until the death of the great German director he devoted himself to making his work known through both cinema and television. He wrote a biography of Trenker with Notteboh titled Fast ein Jahrhundert. In 1989, in Trento, he presented a film about Arnold Fanck’s life, the pioneer of the mountain cinema, titled Wer war Arnold Fanck. He also participated at the TrentoFilmfestival in 1996 with Luis Trenker Project: I am a movieman and in 1999 with the movies Matterhorn - Das ist der Gipfel and In Eis und Schnee.