Alexander von Stahl
Encyclopedia
Alexander von Stahl is a German lawyer, liberal politician and civil servant. He served as Attorney General of Germany
from June 1990 until July 1993.
Before he was appointed Attorney General, he served as an Under-Secretary of State in the Berlin State Ministry of Justice (1975–1989), in West Berlin
.
His term as Attorney General was marked by the war on terror (particularly the Red Army Faction
) and the prosecution of former communist criminals after the downfall of the GDR
communist regime. In 1991, he indicted Erich Mielke
, who was subsequently convicted of murder. On 6 July 1993, he was removed from his post by Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
following a row over the alleged police shooting of a suspected terrorist, Wolfgang Grams
, on 27 June. The Minister of the Interior, Rudolf Seiters
, had resigned two days before. An investigation did not reveal any wrongdoing on the part of the police or the authorities, and there were calls by some to reinstate Stahl in his position. He has subsequently worked as a lawyer.
Stahl is a member of the Free Democratic Party
. He became a member of the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia
in 1961, and served as a board member of the Berlin state party from 1989 until his appointment as Attorney General. He was Secretary General of the FDP parliamentary group in the Berlin state parliament
from 1970 to 1975.
In the 1990s, he and other liberals tried to revive the national liberal
tradition of the FDP. He was a candidate for President of the Berlin state party in 1996 and 1998, but lost narrowly to the candidate of the left-wing, Martin Matz, who later defected to the SPD
, retaining his parliamentary mandate. He is a prominent supporter of, contributor to, and lawyer for the liberal-conservative newspaper Junge Freiheit
.
Attorney General of Germany
The Attorney General of Germany is the federal prosecutor of Germany, representing the federal government at the Bundesgerichtshof, the federal court of justice. The office of the Attorney General is located in Karlsruhe. Besides its role in appellate cases, the Attorney General has primary...
from June 1990 until July 1993.
Before he was appointed Attorney General, he served as an Under-Secretary of State in the Berlin State Ministry of Justice (1975–1989), in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
.
His term as Attorney General was marked by the war on terror (particularly the Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
) and the prosecution of former communist criminals after the downfall of the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
communist regime. In 1991, he indicted Erich Mielke
Erich Mielke
Erich Fritz Emil Mielke was a German communist politician and Minister of State Security—and as such head of the Stasi —of the German Democratic Republic between 1957 and 1989. Mielke spent more than a decade as an operative of the NKVD during the rule of Joseph Stalin...
, who was subsequently convicted of murder. On 6 July 1993, he was removed from his post by Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger is a German politician of the pro-business Free Democratic Party. Within the FDP, she is a leading figure of the small social-liberal wing...
following a row over the alleged police shooting of a suspected terrorist, Wolfgang Grams
Wolfgang Grams
Wolfgang Grams was a member of the Red Army Faction, a German far-left terrorist organisation.-Life:Wolfgang Grams was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. His parents, Werner and Ruth Grams, were expelled from the east. Werner Grams volunteered for service in the Waffen-SS...
, on 27 June. The Minister of the Interior, Rudolf Seiters
Rudolf Seiters
Rudolf Seiters is a German politician of the CDU party.From 1989-1991, he was Federal Minister for Special Affairs and the Head of the Office of the German Chancellery. From 1991-1993, he was the Minister of the Interior. From 1998-2002, he was the Vice President of the German Bundestag, or...
, had resigned two days before. An investigation did not reveal any wrongdoing on the part of the police or the authorities, and there were calls by some to reinstate Stahl in his position. He has subsequently worked as a lawyer.
Stahl is a member of the Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
. He became a member of the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
in 1961, and served as a board member of the Berlin state party from 1989 until his appointment as Attorney General. He was Secretary General of the FDP parliamentary group in the Berlin state parliament
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the state parliament for the German state of Berlin, according to the state's constitution. The parliament is based at the building on Niederkirchnerstraße in Mitte which until 1934 was the seat of the lower house of the Preußischer Landtag...
from 1970 to 1975.
In the 1990s, he and other liberals tried to revive the national liberal
National liberalism
National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining nationalism with some liberal policies, especially regarding economic liberalism. The roots of it are to be found in the 19th century, when conservative liberalism was the ideology of the political classes in most European countries, then...
tradition of the FDP. He was a candidate for President of the Berlin state party in 1996 and 1998, but lost narrowly to the candidate of the left-wing, Martin Matz, who later defected to the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, retaining his parliamentary mandate. He is a prominent supporter of, contributor to, and lawyer for the liberal-conservative newspaper Junge Freiheit
Junge Freiheit
The Junge Freiheit is a German weekly newspaper for politics and culture, that describes itself as liberal-conservative...
.
Publications
- Terrorismus und Spionage. Einschätzungen des Generalbundesanwalts. Übersee-Club, Hamburg 1991.
- Das Erbe des Ministeriums für Staatssicherheit (MfS). Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer, Speyer 1993.
- Kampf um die Pressefreiheit. Chronologie eines Skandals. Die Verfassungsbeschwerde der Wochenzeitung 'Junge Freiheit' wegen Verletzung der Meinungs- und Pressefreiheit durch Verfassungsschutzberichte des Landes NRW. Reihe Dokumentation, Bde. 5-7, Edition JF, Berlin 2003–2004: ISBN 3-929886-15-4, ISBN 3-929886-17-0, ISBN 3-929886-18-9