Activist advocating for civil liberties, Friedrich Schorlemmer, has passed away.
He was a strong critic of the regime in East Germany. During the fall of 1989, he became one of the most prominent symbols of the peaceful revolution. The Wittenberg theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer passed away on Sunday at the age of 80, as former Saxony-Anhalt culture minister Stephan Dorgerloh announced, who had worked closely with Schorlemmer.
At a mass demonstration on November 4, 1989, on Berlin's Alexanderplatz, Schorlemmer called for non-violence, making a significant impact just as he had done in the past. On September 24, 1983, a blacksmith in Wittenberg transformed a sword into a plowshare. At the time, Schorlemmer was the castle church preacher and co-organizer of this courageous action. The slogan "Swords into Plowshares" became the theme for the Christian-influenced GDR peace movement.
Saxony's deputy prime minister Martin Dulig also remembered this now. With the blacksmith action in Wittenberg, Schorlemmer gained international recognition, explained Dulig upon Schorlemmer's death. "I think of him not just as a clever Social Democrat from Wittenberg, but also as the theologian who played a significant role in the peaceful revolution in 1989. Schorlemmer was always a wise advisor - whose thoughtful, wise words will be missed by us all in these politically volatile times."
Gysi: "He was completely incorruptible"
Schorlemmer was born on May 16, 1944, in Wittenberge, Brandenburg. In the GDR, he faced repression - he was not permitted to take his Abitur at school and had to complete it at night school. He eventually studied theology at the University of Halle. With peaceful protests and non-violent resistance, such as during the invasion of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia, he came under the watchful eye of the state security.
During the peaceful revolution, Schorlemmer was one of the founders of the "Democratic Awakening" and joined the SPD in 1990. Besides his work for the Protestant Church, he was also an active member of the Wittenberg city council. "Democracy is like a garden, if you don't tend to it, it becomes overgrown very quickly," he once said. For his tireless dedication, the city of Wittenberg honored him with the title of honorary citizen on October 3, 2015. At this occasion, the Left politician Gregor Gysi said about him: "He was completely incorruptible, uncomfortable, critical, and never backed down."
Even in retirement, the peace prize winner and author of numerous books continued to raise his voice for democracy and against xenophobia. In Leipzig, he was a co-founder of the "Foundation for the Peaceful Revolution". The theologian did not shy away from expressing his opinion to powerful figures: for example, he publicly criticized Federal President Joachim Gauck - who also belonged to the civil rights movement at the end of the GDR - for his statements on the foreign deployments of the Bundeswehr. Looking back, he once said: "My life was in many ways not easy, but it was rich."
The Democratic Awakening, a group advocating for democratization during the peaceful revolution, was founded by Schorlemmer. His integrity and unwavering stance were praised by Left politician Gregor Gysi, who described him as "completely incorruptible, uncomfortable, critical, and never backed down."
During the peaceful revolution, The Commission played a crucial role, encouraging non-violent resistance and promoting democracy. Schorlemmer, as one of its prominent members, significantly contributed to the movement's success.
