Fritz Gerlich
Carl Albert Fritz Michael Gerlich (born 15 February 1883 in Stettin, † 30 June 1934 in the Dachau concentration camp) was a German journalist and archivist. He is considered one of the most important representatives of journalistic resistance against Adolf Hitler and National Socialism until 1933.
Life
Gerlich grew up as the eldest of four sons of the fish wholesaler and merchant Paul Gerlich on in a Calvinist influenced parents' house. From the autumn of 1889 he visited the Marie Stiftsgymnasium; Four years later he moved to the high school level. In 1901 he received his leaving certificate. On October 9, 1920 he married Sophie Botzenhart in Munich, born Stempfle ( 1883-1956 ).
From 1902 Gerlich studied mathematics and physics at the University of Leipzig from 1903 History and Anthropology at the University of Munich, where he became involved with the Free Students. In 1907 he received his doctorate with Karl Theodor von Heigel Dr. phil. Besides his work as a historian in the Bavarian State Archives service, he has published numerous articles on anti-socialist and nationalist- conservative German topics in the Süddeutsche Monatshefte, the reality and the historical- political Browse for Catholic Germany. In 1917, he belonged to the select committee of the Bavarian Association of the German Fatherland Party. From 1920 to 1928 he was editor in chief of the Munich Latest News ( MNN ), a predecessor of today's newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Gerlich resigned on 1 February 1928 clashes with the Publishing Director from among the MNN.
1923, with the Beer Hall Putsch, Gerlich is transformed from a more nationally - authoritarian -minded supporters of the National Socialist movement to a dedicated critics and opponents of Adolf Hitler.
The rejection of totalitarianism by Fritz Gerlich was based on the law of nature as a human right. In addition, Gerlich had 1927 the acquaintance of Therese Neumann, the mystic of Konnersreuth made , which encouraged him to resist the Nazi Party. Originally, he wanted to expose the " dizziness " of their wounds, but Gerlich came back and converted in 1931 to the Roman Catholic faith as a convert. His experience and the result of critical Forschens about Therese Neumann, he published in 1929 in two volumes.
In August 1929 Gerlich went back into the archive and took over in 1930 the publication of the magazine Illustrated Sunday that starting in 1932 under the title The straight path and appeared consistently turned against Hitler and the Nazi Party. Fritz Gerlich once wrote: " National Socialism is, lie, hate, fratricide and boundless misery. "
Until the end Gerlich warned of the danger and the consequences of a "seizure of power " by the Nazis and tried to prevent them. He was abused on March 9, 1933, the offices of the straight path of an SA squad and remained almost 16 months in Munich in "protective custody". On the night of June 30, July 1, 1934, he was transferred in connection with the so-called Röhm - Putsch by the Munich police headquarters to Dachau concentration camp, and shot, along with the fighting alliance leader Paul cannon bone on the range of the camp.
Reception
On the 75th anniversary of the assassination of the celebrated Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Reinhard Marx, a memorial service. Since the 75th year of his assassination dedicated Stattreisen München eV Fritz Gerlich and the newspaper on a city tour.
To mark the anniversary, the exhibition " Fritz Gerlich (1883-1934) - As a journalist against Hitler " newly designed and produced as a mobile exhibition of the Catholic chaplaincy at the Dachau concentration camp memorial.
In the TV movie Hitler - The Rise of Evil Gerlich's life is presented in a supporting role from 1919 until his death, played by Matthew Modine.
In Munich today remember multiple sites to Fritz Gerlich: one in 1984, created by Wolf Hirtreiter plaque on his former home in the Richard -Wagner- Straße 27, a bronze plaque at the former press building the Süddeutsche Zeitung in the paddock in the Old Town, a 1994 mounted plaque was installed at the lion figure of the former Wittelsbacherpalace the building of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria in the Mandl road 23 and the named after him in 1947 Gerlichstraße in Pasing- Obermenzing. Named after Gerlich are also streets in Landshut, Neusäss, Neuss, Pullach and Regensburg.
The information carried by Catholic dioceses film investment company Tellux awards annually in the Munich Film Festival the 10,000 euro Fritz Gerlich Award - the only Catholic Film Award in Germany - for contemporary game or documentaries that address a publicly debated issue in courageous manner that is involved in resistance to intolerance and dictatorship, abuse of power, persecution and humiliation.
Writings
- The Testament of Henry VI. Attempt at refutation, in 1907. ND 1965
- History and Theory of Capitalism, 1913
- Communism as a doctrine of the millennium, 1920
- The stigmatic Therese Neumann of Konnersreuth. 2 volumes, 1929
- The battle for the credibility of Therese Neumann, 1931
- Prophecies against the Third Reich. From the writings of Dr. Fritz Gerlich and the priest Ingbert Naab OFM Cap. Collected by Dr. John Steiner, 1946