Theodor Haubach
Encyclopedia
Theodor Haubach was a German
journalist
, SPD
politician
, and resistance fighter against the Nazi
régime.
Theodor Haubach spent his childhood
and youth
in Darmstadt
. In 1914, right after his Abitur
, he declared himself a war volunteer, was wounded many times while taking part in the First World War until 1918. After the horror of his wartime experiences, he was now ready to be deployed in more peaceful pursuits.
From 1919 to 1923 Haubach studied philosophy
, sociology
, and economics
and eventually graduated. As of 1920, Haubach, like his friend Carlo Mierendorff, was an SPD member and worked together actively with the Young Socialists. Later (1924-1929), he was editor of the daily newspaper
Hamburger Echo, and later still (1929-1933), an associate at the Reich Interior Ministry and with the Berlin Police
President. From 1924, Haubach was the leading member of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, an association that campaigned fiercely for Weimar
democracy
and actively struggled under the emblem of the "Three Arrows" against the Nazis, who were grasping for power.
Beginning in February 1933, Haubach, like many SPD members, was persecuted by the Nazi régime. After his first arrest in 1934, he was detained in Esterwegen concentration camp. From 1935, he worked as an insurance
representative, and later established contacts with the Kreisau Circle
. After the failed attempt
on Hitler's life at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia
on 20 July 1944, Haubach was arrested and sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof. Now very ill, Theodor Haubach was put to death on 23 January 1945 along with Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
at Plötzensee
Prison
in Berlin.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and resistance fighter against the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
régime.
Theodor Haubach spent his childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
and youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. In 1914, right after his 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...
, he declared himself a war volunteer, was wounded many times while taking part in the First World War until 1918. After the horror of his wartime experiences, he was now ready to be deployed in more peaceful pursuits.
From 1919 to 1923 Haubach studied 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...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and eventually graduated. As of 1920, Haubach, like his friend Carlo Mierendorff, was an SPD member and worked together actively with the Young Socialists. Later (1924-1929), he was editor of the daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Hamburger Echo, and later still (1929-1933), an associate at the Reich Interior Ministry and with the Berlin Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
President. From 1924, Haubach was the leading member of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, an association that campaigned fiercely for Weimar
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and actively struggled under the emblem of the "Three Arrows" against the Nazis, who were grasping for power.
Beginning in February 1933, Haubach, like many SPD members, was persecuted by the Nazi régime. After his first arrest in 1934, he was detained in Esterwegen concentration camp. From 1935, he worked as an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
representative, and later established contacts with the Kreisau Circle
Kreisau Circle
The Kreisau Circle was the name the Nazi Gestapo gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime...
. After the failed attempt
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
on Hitler's life at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
on 20 July 1944, Haubach was arrested and sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof. Now very ill, Theodor Haubach was put to death on 23 January 1945 along with Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
at Plötzensee
Plötzensee
Plötzensee is a small glacial lake in Berlin. It is situated near the Rehberge public park in the former borough of Wedding, now a part of Mitte. The name stems from Plötze, one name for the roach in German, as the lake formerly teemed with it....
Prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in Berlin.
Literature
- Peter Zimmermann: Theodor Haubach (1896-1945) - Eine politische Biographie. Hamburg 2004, 454 pages, ISBN 3-935549-87-3, 30,00 Euro
- Der militante Sozialdemokrat. Carlo Mierendorff 1897 bis 1943. Eine Biografie von Richard Albrecht (JHW Dietz Nachf., 1987, 464 p., ISBN 3-8012-1128-2)
- "Symbolkrieg" in Deutschland; historisch-biografische Skizze von Richard Albrecht (MuK/Universität Siegen, 1986, 52 p.; ISSN 0721-3271)
External links
- Haubach's biography on the pages of the Theodor Haubach Secondary School, Berlin-Tempelhof
- Haubach's biography on the pages of the Theodor Haubach School, Hamburg-Altona.
- The Kreisau-Initiative Berlin e.V. which concerns itself with memorializing the Kreisau Circle.