Lothar Kreyssig (; 30 October 1898 – 6 July 1986) was a German

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

during the

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

and

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

era. He was the only German judge who attempted to stop the mass-murder of persons deemed " unworthy of living" under the '' Aktion T4'' " involuntary euthanasia" program, an intervention that cost him his job. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was again offered a judgeship but declined. Later, he became an advocate of German reconciliation and founded the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace and the German

development aid Development aid (or development cooperation) is a type of aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political International development, development of developing countries. It is distinguishe ...

non-government organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

, Action for World Solidarity.

Biography

Early years

Lothar Ernst Paul Kreyssig was born in Flöha,

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, the son of a businessman and grain merchant. After elementary school, he attended a gymnasium in

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

. He set aside his education and enlisted in the army in 1916 during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Two years of service in the war took him to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the

Baltics The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. After the war, between 1919 and 1922, he studied law in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

, receiving his doctorate in 1923. In 1926, he went to work at the

district court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

in Chemnitz and two years later became a judge there. In 1933, Kreyssig was pressured to join the

party, but refused, citing his need for judicial independence. However, in 1934, he joined the Confessing Church and in 1935, was elected

Praeses ''Praeses'' (Latin ''praesides'') is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head". In antiquity, notably under the Roman Dominate, it was used to refer to Roman governors; it continues to see some use for various modern positions. ...

at the

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

of the Confessing Church in Saxony. He was still able to work in his profession and in 1937, he was transferred to

Brandenburg an der Havel Brandenburg an der Havel (; ) is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, which served as the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg until it was replaced by Berlin in 1417. With a population of 72,040 (as of 2020), it is located on the banks of the ...

to the lower district court.Anton Legerer
"Preparing the Ground for Constitutionalization through Reconciliation Work"
''German Law Journal'' excerpt. (PDF) Retrieved March 15, 2010 His work as a mental health court guardianship judge made him responsible for several hundred mentally challenged children and adults.English summary of ''Prophet der Versöhnung''
(''Prophet of Reconciliation'') In German, by Konrad Weiß. He bought an estate in nearby Havelsee, where he practiced biodynamic farming. A preliminary investigation prompted by Kreyssig's church activities was made against him, but no action was taken. After the number of death certificates of his wards began to accumulate on his desk, he began to suspect the deaths were connected to the "mercy killing" that had begun. He reported his suspicions in a letter to Minister of Justice Franz Gürtner, dated July 8, 1940. He pilloried the Nazis' Aktion T4 euthanasia program. He also addressed the

disenfranchisement Disfranchisement, also disenfranchisement (which has become more common since 1982) or voter disqualification, is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing someo ...

of prisoners in

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

, making all his arguments on firm legal grounds.Ernst Klee. ''The Encyclopedia of the Third Persons Reich.'' Fischer Taschenbuch (2005) p. 340 Kreyssig then filed a charge against Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler for murder. He filed an injunction against the institutions in which he had housed his wards, prohibiting them from transferring the wards without his consent.''Law's Heroes''
University of Missouri at Kansas City, Law Department, faculty projects. Retrieved March 15, 2010 On 13 November 1940 Kreyssig was summoned by Gürtner, who laid before Kreyssig Hitler's personal letter that had started the euthanasia program and which constituted the sole legal basis for it. Kreyssig replied, "The Führer's word does not create a right," clearly signifying that he did not recognize this as a legal right. Gürtner then told Kreyssig, "If you cannot recognise the will of the Führer as a source of law, then you cannot remain a judge." In December 1940, Kreyssig was suspended. Efforts by the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

to send him to a concentration camp failed. Two years later, in March 1942, Hitler forced Kreyssig to retire. Kreyssig then devoted himself to organic farming and church work. He also hid two Jewish women on his property until the end of the war.

After 1945

After the end of National Socialism, Kreyssig came to be appreciated as a '' Widerstandskämpfer''. However, in the Soviet occupation zone after the war, as an alleged Prussian Junker he lost part of his estate. Feeling that the rule of law in the Soviet occupation zone was insufficient, Kreyssig decided against resuming his career as a judge. Instead, he accepted an offer from Bishop Otto Dibelius and in 1945, became the consistorial president of the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

. In 1947, he became

of the Synod of the church province, an office he held until 1964. In December 1950 the general synod of the Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union elected him its praeses, an office he held until 1970. In 1952, he briefly headed the church chancellery of that Church. Between 1949 and 1961, he was a council member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Protestant umbrella in Germany, and from 1949 to 1958, he was also eastern vice president of the Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag. Spiritually, he was at home in the Evangelische Michaelsbruderschaft. Kreyssig's views were controversial. He espoused an

ecumenism Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...

of Christians, but one that would also include

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

. Kreyssig turned against the '' Wiederbewaffnung'' and rejected the division of Germany into two countries. Kreyssig established church institutions and programs, such as the Protestant Academy of the Church Province of Saxony, and a

hotline A hotline is a Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point information transfer, communications Data link, link in which a telephone call, call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by t ...

. He founded the ''Aktionsgemeinschaft für die Hungernden'', a communal action to combat hunger, which was a precursor of the NGO Action for World Solidarity. His most significant work, however, was the founding of the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace. Kreyssig called for the founding of this action in 1958, saying that young Germans should go to former enemy countries and to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

to ask for forgiveness and show, by volunteering to do good deeds to atone for the bombing and crimes of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the Nazi regime (especially

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

), to show signs of atonement, to work toward reconciliation, and for peace. Today, thousands of Germans have volunteered in numerous countries through this organization. The first projects were in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. With the construction of the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

, Kreyssig was cut off from the international activities of his organization. As a result, he gave up running the organization and devoted himself to building a version of the organization in the

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

. One of the first projects of this initiative was to rebuild two destroyed churches in Magdeburg. In 1971, Kreyssig and his wife moved to

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

. He lived in a nursing home from 1977 in

Bergisch Gladbach Bergisch Gladbach () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district). Geography Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and abo ...

until his death in 1986.

Legacy and memorials

To this day, Kreyssig is known as the only judge who tried to stop the systematic murders conducted under the Nazis' T4 program. The cities of Flöha,

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

and

each have a street named after him. In Flöha, there is a ''Förderschule'' and in Lehnin, a senior care center that bear his name. The Lothar Kreyssig Peace Prize has been awarded every two years since 1999 by the Lothar Kreyssig Foundation in Magdeburg. On the anniversary of his 100th birthday, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the ''Oberlandesgericht'' (Superior Regional Court) in

. The former lower district court site, now the location of the Brandenburg ''Generalstaatsanwaltschaft'' (Attorney General), outside, has two memorial stelae and inside, a plaque with an inscription by Kreyssig's biographer, Konrad Weiß. The Brandenburg Association of Jurists donated the plaque on 5 May 2008 to commemorate Kreyssig's Appeal to found the Action for Reconciliation on the 50th anniversary of its introduction. On 22 October 2006 the Federal Ministry of Justice held a memorial, sponsored by Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Kreyssig's death. On 5 July 2008 a memorial was unveiled at Hohenferchesar, his residence from 1937 to 1972. Lothar and Johanna Kreyssig were recognised as

Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...

by Yad Vashem in 2016.

Publications

*''Gerechtigkeit für David. Gottes Gericht und Gnade über dem Ahnen Jesu Christi. Nach dem 2. Buch Samuelis'', 1949
Appeal to found the Action for Reconciliation
Action for Reconciliation Service for Peace, official website. Berlin 1958. Retrieved March 13, 2010

Sources

* Konrad Weiß
Lothar Kreyssig. ''Prophet der Versöhnung''
Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen (1998) * Susanne Willems, ''Lothar Kreyssig - Vom eigenen verantwortlichen Handeln'', Aktion Sühnezeichen/Friedensdienste, Berlin, (1995) * Susanne Willems, in: ''Verfolgung, Alltag, Widerstand - Brandenburg in der NS-Zeit'', Verlag Volk & Welt Berlin (1993) pp. 383–410, * "Unrecht beim Namen genannt." Memorial for Lothar Kreyssig on 30 October 1998, published by the Brandenburg Oberlandesgericht, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden, (1998) * Martin Kramer, '' Magdeburger Biographisches Lexikon'', Scriptum Verlag Magdeburg (2002) * Karl-Klaus Rabe, ''Umkehr in die Zukunft - Die Arbeit der Aktion Sühnezeichen/Friedensdienste'', Lamuv Verlag, Göttingen (1983) * Helmut Kramer, ''Lothar Kreyssig (1898 bis 1986), Richter und Christ im Widerstand in: Redaktion Kritische Justiz'' (Hg.): Streitbare Juristen. Nomos, Baden-Baden (1989) pp. 342–354, * Wolf Kahl, Lothar Kreyssig - Amtsrichter im Widerstand und Prophet der Versöhnung, Deutsche Richterzeitung 2008, pp. 299–302 * Anke Silomon, ''Widerstand von Protestanten im NS und in der DDR, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte'', 14/2009 (30 March 2009) pp. 33 – 38

References

External links

Biography of Lothar Kreyssig
at the University of Magdeburg, ''Magdeburger Biographisches Lexikon''. Retrieved February 3, 2013
Action for World Solidarity
Official website. Retrieved March 11, 2010 * Lothar Kreyssig in th
German National Library
catalogue Retrieved March 11, 2010 *

Biography of Lothar Kreyssig. Retrieved February 3, 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kreyssig, Lothar 1898 births 1986 deaths People from Flöha People from the Kingdom of Saxony German Lutherans Lutheran pacifists Protestants in the German Resistance Jurists from Saxony 20th-century German judges German anti-war activists Aktion T4 German Army personnel of World War I German Righteous Among the Nations Protestant Righteous Among the Nations