Friedrich Wolf, the lawyer for former East German leader Erich Honecker, has passed away.
Friedrich Wolf, a well-known defense attorney in East Berlin during the show trials, has passed away at the age of 101. He attained widespread recognition in the GDR through his TV program "Alles was Recht ist." Following German reunification, he represented ex-state leader Erich Honecker in court.
As reported by the publisher Frank Schumann, Wolf's wife disclosed his peaceful passing at their home in Wandlitz, located north of Berlin. Born on July 30, 1922, in Berlin, Wolf was formerly the court-appointed lawyer for the East Berlin trials against Hans Globke and Theodor Oberländer - two West Germans who had held positions in the Federal Republic and were subsequently convicted in absentia for their actions during the Nazi regime in the early 1960s.
After German reunification, Wolf represented not only Honecker but also other East German politicians like Hans Modrow and Hermann Axen in criminal cases. Numerous publications later ensued, including his autobiography "Verlorene Prozesse. Meine Verteidigungen in politischen Verfahren" and "Komm mir nicht mit Rechtsstaat," a conversation between Friedrich Wolf and Egon Krenz.
Friedrich Wolf encountered a remarkable journey in law, stemming from a Jewish family. He bravely defended German figures like Hans Globke and Theodor Oberländer against charges of facilitating criminal actions during the Nazi reign. Unfortunately, they both faced convictions in absentia during the early 1960s.
After German reunification, Wolf's career took an unexpected turn, as he became the chosen lawyer for former East German politicians such as Erich Honecker, Hans Modrow, and Hermann Axen. Subsequently, he was involved as the main interlocutor in important political proceedings.
His life story will be immortalized as he is interred at the Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weißensee, where his predecessors lie in their final resting place since 1935.
