L'activiste des libertés civiles, Friedrich Schorlemmer, est décédé.
Il était un farouche critique du régime de l'Allemagne de l'Est. Pendant la chute de 1989, il est devenu l'un des symboles les plus marquants de la révolution pacifique. Le théologien de Wittenberg, Friedrich Schorlemmer, est décédé dimanche à l'âge de 80 ans, comme l'a annoncé l'ancien ministre de la Culture de Saxe-Anhalt, Stephan Dorgerloh, qui avait travaillé étroitement avec Schorlemmer.
During a mass demonstration on November 4, 1989, at 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: "Il était complètement incorruptible"
Schorlemmer est né le 16 mai 1944 à Wittenberge, en Brandebourg. En RDA, il a fait face à la répression - il n'a pas été autorisé à passer son Abitur à l'école et a dû le passer à l'école du soir. Il a finalement étudié la théologie à l'Université de Halle. Avec des manifestations pacifiques et une résistance non violente, telles que lors de l'invasion de troupes soviétiques en Tchécoslovaquie, il est devenu la cible de la sécurité d'État.
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. "La démocratie est comme un jardin, si vous n'en prenez pas soin, elle devient très vite envahie par les mauvaises herbes," a-t-il dit un jour. Pour son engagement sans faille, la ville de Wittenberg l'a honoré du titre de citoyen d'honneur le 3 octobre 2015. À cette occasion, le politique de gauche Gregor Gysi a déclaré à son sujet : "Il était complètement incorruptible, inconfortable, critique et ne reculait jamais."
Even in retirement, the peace prize winner and author of numerous books continued to raise his voice for democracy and against le xénophobie. At 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 a publicly criticized Federal President Joachim Gauck - who also belonged to the civil rights movement at the end of the RDA - for his statements on the foreign deployments of the Bundeswehr. Looking back, he once said: "Ma vie était dans de nombreux aspects pas facile, mais elle était riche."
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.
