He is best known for the characters Franz von Hahn, Johnny Mauser and the plump Waldemar, the trio from his Friends stories.
Heine moved to New Zealand in 1990 and settled in Russell, where he became part of the artistic community.
Despite his success as a children’s book author, Heine wanted to stretch his artistic muscles, Radowtiz said.
“He did not only want to be a picture book artist.”
Heine’s creative interests ranged across art, sculpture, theatre and satire.
One of his most recognisable local works was a 50kg brass mermaid sculpture that sat at the front entrance of the home he shared with his wife, Kiki.
The statue, cast in Europe and originally conceived as part of a fountain project he had designed for the Russell Business Association, became something of a landmark on Wellington St.
In 2006, the Herald reported the mermaid had been stolen in an overnight raid.
Heine, then 65, believed at least two people had lifted the figure off the steel rod securing it to his gatepost.
“I think it was pinched on order,” he told the Herald at the time, estimating the artwork’s value at about $10,000.
His books sold millions of copies and were translated into 35 languages.
Among his many honours were the European Youth Book Prize, the “Most Beautiful German Books” award and the Grand Prize of the German Academy for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.
Petra Albers, head of children’s and youth publishing at the Beltz Group, said in a statement that Heine made a lasting impression on those who worked with him.
“Every encounter with Helme Heine was something special for me.”
Helme Heine at home in Russell, where he settled after moving to New Zealand in 1990. Photo / Supplied
Heine studied economics and art before travelling through Europe and Asia in the early 1960s.
He later moved to Johannesburg, where he founded the political-literary cabaret “Sauerkraut”, directed a theatre troupe and edited a satirical magazine.
His international breakthrough came in 1976 with the picture book Elefanteneinmaleins, followed by Na warte, sagte Schwarte. Freunde (Friends) was first published in 1982 and has remained in print for more than 40 years.
Heine also contributed to New Zealand causes, donating artwork to fundraising auctions after the Christchurch earthquakes.
Heine’s decades in Russell offered a quieter backdrop to a life filled with international acclaim, Radowtiz said.
“He died at home.”
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.