Siegfried Haag
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Haag was a member of the West German terrorist Red Army Faction
(RAF). He became a leading figure of the second generation of the group.
and briefly defended Holger Meins
in 1974 and Andreas Baader
in 1975 during his trial at Stammheim
.
(with the help of Elisabeth Von Dyck) and served six months in a detention centre. He was released and immediately went underground.
Haag became an important member of the second generation of the RAF and recruited many new members. He was once quoted as saying;
He took part in a number of bank robberies, was involved in logistics and weapons procurement. It is thought that he was crucial in planning the West German embassy siege in Stockholm
, though he himself did not take part. For a period between 1975 and 1976, Haag underwent guerilla warfare training
in a Southern Yemen camp, before returning to West Germany
.
when police stopped a stolen car he was driving. In the vehicle they found weapons and cryptic documents that revealed details of the Hanns Martin Schleyer
kidnapping, which were deciphered at a later time, only in hindsight. With Haag in prison, leadership of the group was assumed by Brigitte Mohnhaupt
, though authorities suspected for awhile that somehow Haag was still issuing commands from prison.
In 1979 Haag was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Stuttgart
court. He was released in 1987 on account of ailing health and apparently regretted his previous life of terrorism.
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...
(RAF). He became a leading figure of the second generation of the group.
Early career
After qualifying in 1973, Haag worked as a lawyer in HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and briefly defended Holger Meins
Holger Meins
Holger Klaus Meins was a German cinematography student who joined the Red Army Faction in the early 1970s and died on hunger strike in prison.-As a Revolutionary:...
in 1974 and Andreas Baader
Andreas Baader
Andreas Bernd Baader was one of the first leaders of the German left-wing militant organization Red Army Faction, also commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang.- Life :...
in 1975 during his trial at Stammheim
Stammheim
Stammheim may refer to:* Stammheim - 1986 West German film directed by Reinhard Hauff* Stammheim, Cologne - municipal part of the city of Cologne, Germany* Stammheim, Stuttgart - municipal part of the city of Stuttgart, Germany...
.
Terrorism
Haag was known to be a leftist terrorist sympathiser, and supposedly while he was working as a defence lawyer, he would act as a messenger, passing on information, between different members of the RAF. His crimes became more substantial however and in 1975 he was arrested for smuggling weapons through SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(with the help of Elisabeth Von Dyck) and served six months in a detention centre. He was released and immediately went underground.
Haag became an important member of the second generation of the RAF and recruited many new members. He was once quoted as saying;
"If I am a general in the Red Army Faction, Baader is a mere corporal."
He took part in a number of bank robberies, was involved in logistics and weapons procurement. It is thought that he was crucial in planning the West German embassy siege in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, though he himself did not take part. For a period between 1975 and 1976, Haag underwent guerilla warfare training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
in a Southern Yemen camp, before returning to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Arrest
In November 1976 Haag was arrested in HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
when police stopped a stolen car he was driving. In the vehicle they found weapons and cryptic documents that revealed details of the Hanns Martin Schleyer
Hanns Martin Schleyer
Hanns-Martin Schleyer was an SS officer, a German business executive and employer and industry representative, serving as President of the two influential organizations Confederation of German Employers' Associations and Federation of German Industries...
kidnapping, which were deciphered at a later time, only in hindsight. With Haag in prison, leadership of the group was assumed by Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Brigitte Margret Ida Mohnhaupt is a German militant associated with the second generation of the Red Army Faction members. She was also part of the Socialist Patients' Collective...
, though authorities suspected for awhile that somehow Haag was still issuing commands from prison.
In 1979 Haag was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
court. He was released in 1987 on account of ailing health and apparently regretted his previous life of terrorism.