A
Anonymous
Guest
Alright, guys. I'm very much against heroification and glorification of individuals, and I detest the way some people are turned into semi-gods these days that have not done anything truly significant for mankind (sports stars for example).
However, tonight, I came across a biography that completely struck me. When I read it, I was completely fascinated by this character. I'm talking about a German politician of the first half of the 20th century, Kurt Schumacher.
He was born in 1895 in a town named Culm, at that time at the German-Russian (Polish) border. He belonged to the Prussian bohéme, which was notorious for being one of the most conservative social groups at that time. Nevertheless, he soon became interested in leftist ideology, eventually becoming a social democrat. He also got involved with the Polish youth which was gleamingly nationalist and left-leaning. Due to this, he was a pretty isolated and lonely character, because obviously, he did not find many people who shared his views and therefore did not find (m?)any friends. At that time, he also became involved with the Social Democrat politics in his hometown.
In 1914, right after the outbreak of WWI, he was convinced that his hometown, being a bordertown, would become scene of fighting and volunteered for the army. He was badly wounded in battle in the same year and lay in the field for 26 hours before being discovered. He lost his right arm.
Invalid, he could now dedicate himself to his studies and after the war, he got the news that his hometown would be turned over to Poland, which tore his family apart. He also started a love relationship to his cousin (which is pretty much the only real stain I could find in his biography) that lasted his whole life.
He became an important member of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) and openly opposed both the right-winged and conservative parties and the left leaning USPD and KPD (Communists). In 1932, when the NSDAP had become the major force in German politics, he stood up against them and openly opposed them, which led to his persecution after Hitler's rise to power. When the SPD was banned, he nevertheless attended meetings and resisted the nazis. Due to this, he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. He spent the next ten years in concentration camps and only survived due to the fact that he was a war veteran and a German, therefore not as badly treated as other prisoners. In 1943, he was released from the camp due to poor health. In 1944, he was sent to concentration camp again because he was allegedly involved in the attempt on Hitler's life on the 20th July; however, he was released again because this could not be proven.
After the war, now based in Hannover, he immediately got involved in politics again, although this was forbidden by the Allies. He openly opposed the Allied occupation policy and almost singlehandedly re-established the SPD, becoming its chairman. He opposed virtually everything: Allied policy, Communists, Conservatives etc. He became unpopular with these camps, was arrested once because of his criticism of Allied policy, but all this could not prevent that he became leader of the opposition in 1949, meanwhile having lost his left leg due to the aftermath of his inprisonment in the concentration camps; finally, he also died because of these in 1952.
I do not quite agree with everything he said. I assume I would have opposed him had he been a politician of my age. However, my admiration is not aimed at him as a politician, but as a character. He went through hell several times, lost everything and always stood against all odds, yet he never gave up and devoted himself to his beliefs. This is what I really call a spirit with an iron will, and I think he should be an inspiration to all of us when we suffer through the various hardships of life (and reading the boards recently, I found we are all going through them).
To describe his personal philosophy, he once said that he never adhered to other people; however, they should not demand anything from him.
However, tonight, I came across a biography that completely struck me. When I read it, I was completely fascinated by this character. I'm talking about a German politician of the first half of the 20th century, Kurt Schumacher.
He was born in 1895 in a town named Culm, at that time at the German-Russian (Polish) border. He belonged to the Prussian bohéme, which was notorious for being one of the most conservative social groups at that time. Nevertheless, he soon became interested in leftist ideology, eventually becoming a social democrat. He also got involved with the Polish youth which was gleamingly nationalist and left-leaning. Due to this, he was a pretty isolated and lonely character, because obviously, he did not find many people who shared his views and therefore did not find (m?)any friends. At that time, he also became involved with the Social Democrat politics in his hometown.
In 1914, right after the outbreak of WWI, he was convinced that his hometown, being a bordertown, would become scene of fighting and volunteered for the army. He was badly wounded in battle in the same year and lay in the field for 26 hours before being discovered. He lost his right arm.
Invalid, he could now dedicate himself to his studies and after the war, he got the news that his hometown would be turned over to Poland, which tore his family apart. He also started a love relationship to his cousin (which is pretty much the only real stain I could find in his biography) that lasted his whole life.
He became an important member of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) and openly opposed both the right-winged and conservative parties and the left leaning USPD and KPD (Communists). In 1932, when the NSDAP had become the major force in German politics, he stood up against them and openly opposed them, which led to his persecution after Hitler's rise to power. When the SPD was banned, he nevertheless attended meetings and resisted the nazis. Due to this, he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. He spent the next ten years in concentration camps and only survived due to the fact that he was a war veteran and a German, therefore not as badly treated as other prisoners. In 1943, he was released from the camp due to poor health. In 1944, he was sent to concentration camp again because he was allegedly involved in the attempt on Hitler's life on the 20th July; however, he was released again because this could not be proven.
After the war, now based in Hannover, he immediately got involved in politics again, although this was forbidden by the Allies. He openly opposed the Allied occupation policy and almost singlehandedly re-established the SPD, becoming its chairman. He opposed virtually everything: Allied policy, Communists, Conservatives etc. He became unpopular with these camps, was arrested once because of his criticism of Allied policy, but all this could not prevent that he became leader of the opposition in 1949, meanwhile having lost his left leg due to the aftermath of his inprisonment in the concentration camps; finally, he also died because of these in 1952.
I do not quite agree with everything he said. I assume I would have opposed him had he been a politician of my age. However, my admiration is not aimed at him as a politician, but as a character. He went through hell several times, lost everything and always stood against all odds, yet he never gave up and devoted himself to his beliefs. This is what I really call a spirit with an iron will, and I think he should be an inspiration to all of us when we suffer through the various hardships of life (and reading the boards recently, I found we are all going through them).
To describe his personal philosophy, he once said that he never adhered to other people; however, they should not demand anything from him.
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