Dr. Hans Peter Richter, born in 1925 in Cologne, studied psychology and sociology and worked independently in research for various broadcasting companies and businesses since 1952. In 1973, he became a professor of scientific methods and sociology at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt. In addition, he has written and published numerous books for adults, teenagers, and children. He received a scholarship twice for his work at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

In 1961, his youth novel "Damals war es Friedrich" (dtv pocket 7800) was published, which, with a circulation of over a million copies, is among the most well-known and widely distributed books on the topic of "persecution of Jews in the Third Reich." Millions of students have engaged with National Socialism and the persecution of Jews through this book. "Damals war es Friedrich" was awarded the Mildred Batchelder Award by the American Library Association for the best youth book published in America by a non-American author, the Sebaldus Youth Book Prize, and the Woodward School Book Award. The book was also included in the selection list for the German Youth Literature Prize and has been translated into many languages.

The author passed away in November 1993 in Mainz on the Rhine.