Georg von Rauch
Encyclopedia
Georg von Rauch was a member of the left-radical Blues-Scene in West-Berlin at the end of the 1960s during the German student movement
.
. His father, the historian Georg von Rauch
, was a university lecturer in philosophy
at Marburg University. The family moved to Kiel
, where von Rauch passed the Abitur
in 1966 and started studying philosophy at Kiel University. Also in 1966, he married the painter Illo Wittlich, who gave birth to a daughter in 1967.
following the shooting of Benno Ohnesorg
on 2 June 1967 made von Rauch move to Berlin
in order to participate in the political protests originating from Freie Universität.
He entered the Socialist German Student Union
and was engaged in several left-wing protests for a better education policy
and against the Vietnam War
, which lead to his radicalisation.
During this period, von Rauch lived in a commune
in Berlin-Charlottenburg
in an apartment rented by lawyer and left-wing radical Otto Schily
, who later became German Interior Minister
. The group called itself Wieland-Kommune after famous Kommune 1
and had Michael Baumann
as one of its leading figures. The philosophy of Wieland-Kommune saw a merger of socialism
and Hippie
culture, including the use of drugs and the embracing of the sexual revolution
. Livelihood was achieved by illegal printing and sale of socialist literature and shoplifting
(which was called "proletarian
shopping").
The attempted murder of student leader Rudi Dutschke
on 11 April 1968 and the May revolts in France led von Rauch and some other members of Wieland-Kommune to break with the German state system and they started attacking it. With the example of the Tupamaros
in Uruguay
, a group of "urban guerrillas" was founded, the West Berlin Tupamaros, which later became the Movement 2 June
. Von Rauch was an active member and committed a series of serious crimes.
until his court trial started in summer 1971. When the sentence was proclaimed on 8 Juli, 1971, von Rauch fled the court in Berlin-Moabit
by changing roles with Weisbecker (who was freed of all charges) in an act that was never fully explained.
On 5 December of the same year, von Rauch was caught in Berlin-Schöneberg
by plainclothes policemen. A shootout ensued, during which von Rauch was mortally hit in the head. According to the police, the fire was opened by von Rauch and his complices, which was questioned by left-wing supporters, who claimed that no gun had been found with him. In a later interview with Der Spiegel
weekly news magazine, Michael Baumann (who was also on the scene) stated that both sides had started shooting simultaneously.
Von Rauch was buried in Kiel.
by supporters. The remaining members of his underground organisation founded the Movement 2 June
, the anarchist counterpart of the Red Army Faction
. The squatters
of the Bethanien Hospital in Berlin-Kreuzberg
renamed it to Georg-von-Rauch-Haus to his honour. Rio Reiser
, member of the band Ton Steine Scherben
wrote a song about this house, the Rauch-Haus-Song
.
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
.
Early life
Georg von Rauch was born in MarburgMarburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
. His father, the historian Georg von Rauch
Georg von Rauch (historian)
Georg von Rauch was a Baltic German historian specializing in Russia and the Baltic states.Rauch was born in Pskov, the son of Kornelius von Rauch, who was serving in the Russian army; in 1911 the family moved to Sangaste in southern Estonia, then part of the Russian Empire...
, was a university lecturer in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Marburg University. The family moved to Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, where von Rauch passed the Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in 1966 and started studying philosophy at Kiel University. Also in 1966, he married the painter Illo Wittlich, who gave birth to a daughter in 1967.
Moving to Berlin and radicalisation
The heated climate of the German student movementGerman student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
following the shooting of Benno Ohnesorg
Benno Ohnesorg
Benno Ohnesorg was a German university student killed by a policeman during a demonstration in West Berlin.- Death :On June 2, 1967, Ohnesorg participated in a protest held near the Deutsche Oper, aimed against the state visit of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was attending a...
on 2 June 1967 made von Rauch move to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in order to participate in the political protests originating from Freie Universität.
He entered the Socialist German Student Union
Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund
Der Sozialistische Deutsche Studentenbund was founded 1946 in Hamburg, Germany, as the college organisation of the SPD...
and was engaged in several left-wing protests for a better education policy
Education policy
Education policy refers to the collection of laws and rules that govern the operation of education systems.Education occurs in many forms for many purposes through many institutions. Examples include early childhood education, kindergarten through to 12th grade, two and four year colleges or...
and against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, which lead to his radicalisation.
During this period, von Rauch lived in a commune
Commune (socialism)
Traditionally, the revolutionary left sees the Commune as a populist replacement for the elitist parliament. The far-left, despite their differences, agree that the commune would have several features...
in Berlin-Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
in an apartment rented by lawyer and left-wing radical Otto Schily
Otto Schily
Otto Georg Schily was Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany from 1998 to 2005, in the cabinet of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Biography:...
, who later became German Interior Minister
Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is a ministry of the German federal government. Its main office is in Berlin, with a secondary seat in Bonn. The current minister of the interior is Dr...
. The group called itself Wieland-Kommune after famous Kommune 1
Kommune 1
Kommune 1 or K1 was the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. It was created on January 12, 1967, in West Berlin and finally dissolved in November 1969....
and had Michael Baumann
Michael Baumann
Michael "Bommi" Baumann was one of the founders of the German organization Movement 2 June, author of a memoir, and a former militant.-Biography:Baumann was a construction worker...
as one of its leading figures. The philosophy of Wieland-Kommune saw a merger of socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and Hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
culture, including the use of drugs and the embracing of the sexual revolution
Sexual revolution
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s into the 1980s...
. Livelihood was achieved by illegal printing and sale of socialist literature and shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
(which was called "proletarian
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
shopping").
The attempted murder of student leader Rudi Dutschke
Rudi Dutschke
Alfred Willi Rudi Dutschke was the most prominent spokesperson of the German student movement of the 1960s. He advocated 'a long march through the institutions' of power to create radical change from within government and society by becoming an integral part of the machinery...
on 11 April 1968 and the May revolts in France led von Rauch and some other members of Wieland-Kommune to break with the German state system and they started attacking it. With the example of the Tupamaros
Tupamaros
Tupamaros, also known as the MLN-T , was an urban guerrilla organization in Uruguay in the 1960s and 1970s. The MLN-T is inextricably linked to its most important leader, Raúl Sendic, and his brand of social politics...
in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, a group of "urban guerrillas" was founded, the West Berlin Tupamaros, which later became the Movement 2 June
Movement 2 June
Movement 2 June was a West German terrorist organization that was based out of West Berlin. Active only from 1971–1980, the anarchist group was one of the few violent groups at the time in West Germany. Although Movement 2 June did not share the same ideology as the Red Army Faction , these...
. Von Rauch was an active member and committed a series of serious crimes.
Imprisonment, escape and death
After having beaten up a journalist together with Michael Baumann and Thomas Weissbecker, von Rauch was arrested on 2 February 1970. He was held imprisoned as a suspectDetention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
until his court trial started in summer 1971. When the sentence was proclaimed on 8 Juli, 1971, von Rauch fled the court in Berlin-Moabit
Moabit
Moabit is an inner city locality of Berlin. Since Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it belongs to the newly regrouped governmental borough of Mitte. Previously, from 1920 to 2001, it belonged to the borough of Tiergarten. Moabit's borders are defined by three watercourses, the Spree, the...
by changing roles with Weisbecker (who was freed of all charges) in an act that was never fully explained.
On 5 December of the same year, von Rauch was caught in Berlin-Schöneberg
Schöneberg
Schöneberg is a locality of Berlin, Germany. Until Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was a separate borough including the locality of Friedenau. Together with the former borough of Tempelhof it is now part of the new borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg....
by plainclothes policemen. A shootout ensued, during which von Rauch was mortally hit in the head. According to the police, the fire was opened by von Rauch and his complices, which was questioned by left-wing supporters, who claimed that no gun had been found with him. In a later interview with Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
weekly news magazine, Michael Baumann (who was also on the scene) stated that both sides had started shooting simultaneously.
Von Rauch was buried in Kiel.
Legacy
Immedeately after his death von Rauch was regarded as a martyrMartyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
by supporters. The remaining members of his underground organisation founded the Movement 2 June
Movement 2 June
Movement 2 June was a West German terrorist organization that was based out of West Berlin. Active only from 1971–1980, the anarchist group was one of the few violent groups at the time in West Germany. Although Movement 2 June did not share the same ideology as the Red Army Faction , these...
, the anarchist counterpart of 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...
. The squatters
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
of the Bethanien Hospital in Berlin-Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
renamed it to Georg-von-Rauch-Haus to his honour. Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
, member of the band Ton Steine Scherben
Ton Steine Scherben
Ton Steine Scherben was one of the first and most influential German language rock bands of the 1970s and early 1980s. Well-known for the highly political and emotional lyrics of vocalist Rio Reiser, they became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements, such as the squatting movement, during...
wrote a song about this house, the Rauch-Haus-Song
Rauch-Haus-Song
The Rauch-Haus-Song of the West Berlin band Ton Steine Scherben thematizes thesquatting of the former Bethanien-Krankenhaus from the sight of the squatters. The title reflects on the circumstance, that the squatters renamed the house „Georg-von-Rauch-Haus“ after Georg von Rauch who was shot by the...
.