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Wolfgang Scheunemann

January 01, 1970

Wolfgang Scheunemann (4 April 1933 – 9 September 1948) was the first victim shot by the Volkspolizei (VP) at the sector border in Berlin. He was shot during a VP operation in Unter den Linden during the Berlin Blockade.

Memorial plaque at the Wolfgang Scheunemann House in Berlin-Moabit

Death edit

 
Unter den Linden, Hotel Adlon (1950). Scheunemann was fatally shot in about the third alcove to the left of the entrance

The schoolboy Wolfgang Scheunemann, son of a boilermaker, lived in the Berlin district of Moabit in the British sector. He was a group leader of the youth organization Die Falken, which belonged to the SPD.

On 9 September 1948, Scheunemann joined 300,000 Berliners at a rally on Platz der Republik. It was directed against the incipient division of Berlin through the blockade of the Western sectors and the violent expulsion of the freely elected city councillors and magistrate members from their seats in the Eastern sector by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and the Soviet occupying power. The Berlin police force was already divided into a section under the VP president Paul Markgraf, who had been deposed by the Berlin magistrate but was kept in office in the Eastern sector by the Soviet city commander, and the police president Johannes Stumm, who had been appointed by the magistrate.

In the immediate vicinity of the rally, there were scuffles between demonstrators and the police at the sector border at the Brandenburg Gate. After the rally, at which Ernst Reuter (SPD) had delivered his renown speech "You peoples of the world [...] look at this city!", a procession formed under SPD chairman Franz Neumann to deliver a protest resolution to the Allied Control Council. The Kammergericht building was located in the American sector in Potsdamer Strasse. Because of the mass of people jammed in Ebertstraße, numerous participants, including Scheunemann and a Falken member from Moabit, a 20-year-old nurse, took a detour through the Soviet sector. The route was to lead via the open Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz, the boulevard Unter den Linden, Wilhelmstrasse and Leipziger Straße to Potsdamer Platz.

Since the beginning of the blockade, the Volkspolizei had controlled vehicle and traffic at the border to the Western sectors without turning back pedestrians. When policemen now tried to push the pedestrians streaming across Pariser Platz back to the gate from Unter den Linden, they were insulted by the crowd and pelted with stones. The police responded first with warning shots and then with shots into the crowd. In the ensuing turmoil, police arrested demonstrators while they attacked individual police officers and removed the red flag from the Brandenburg Gate to hoist a black, red and gold one. Scheunemann, who had taken refuge with the nurse from shots and stone throwing in an alcove of the ruins of the Hotel Adlon, was shot in the stomach by a policeman. The VP's use of firearms caused a further twelve injuries. Scheunemann died while being transported to Moabit Hospital. Although the West Berlin police had offered a large reward and interviewed numerous witnesses, they were unable to identify the perpetrator.

Scheunemann's death caused a great public stir in Berlin. The SPD-affiliated Telegraf newspaper emphasized that demonstrators had refused to accept the East Berlin police cordons. His death was taken by the Falcons as an obligation to "fight for and defend freedom". In the centenary year of the democratic 1848 March Revolution, a RIAS commemorative program placed Scheunemann in a row with the March martyrs of 1848.[1]

The SED-controlled East Berlin press, especially the Berliner Zeitung, devoted a great deal of attention to the incidents at the Brandenburg Gate. They depicted them as a kind of social-democratic coup attempt, mainly carried out by the Falcons, organized by the "fascist provocateurs Reuter and Friedensburg", who had "equipped the thugs with firearms". The newspaper did not mention the death of 15-year-old Scheunemann.[2]

Wolfgang Scheunemann was the only child of his parents. After he was laid out in front of Tiergarten Town Hall, where Franz Neumann spoke, around 10,000 people accompanied the deceased to his funeral at St. Johannis II Cemetery in Seestraße.[3] A few weeks later, in apparent competition, the SED leadership dedicated a funeral to Fritz Maqué, a policeman who had been the victim of a fatal incident at the sector border, which far surpassed that of Scheunemann in terms of size and solemnity.[4]

Honor edit

A youth recreational facility in Berlin-Moabit, which was opened in 1961, was named Wolfgang Scheunemann House. There has been a memorial plaque there ever since.

References edit

  1. ^ Ulrich Pfeil, Corine Defrance, Bettina Greiner (Hrsg.): Die Berliner Luftbrücke. Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges. Ch. Links, 2018, ISBN 978-3-86153-991-9, S. 162.
  2. ^ Zitate bei Gerhard Sälter: Die sowjetische Blockade und das Grenzregime in Berlin. Von den zeitgenössischen Mediendiskursen zur kollektiven Erinnerung an den Kalten Krieg. In: Ulrich Pfeil, Corine Defrance, Bettina Greiner (Hrsg.): Die Berliner Luftbrücke. Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges. Ch. Links, 2018, ISBN 978-3-86153-991-9, S. 161 f.
  3. ^ Zeitzeugenbericht von Eberhard Grashoff; siehe Andreas Förster: Wolfgang Scheunemann. Der erste Tote der deutschen Teilung. Berliner Kurier vom 9. September 2018
  4. ^ Zur Konkurrenz siehe Gerhard Sälter: Die sowjetische Blockade und das Grenzregime in Berlin. Von den zeitgenössischen Mediendiskursen zur kollektiven Erinnerung an den Kalten Krieg. In: Ulrich Pfeil, Corine Defrance, Bettina Greiner (Hrsg.): Die Berliner Luftbrücke. Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges. Ch. Links, 2018, ISBN 978-3-86153-991-9, S. 161–165.

Bibliography edit

  • Ulrich Pfeil, Corine Defrance, Bettina Greiner (Hrsg.): Die Berliner Luftbrücke. Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges. Ch. Links, 2018, ISBN 978-3-86153-991-9, S. 161–166.
  • Gerhard Sälter, Johanna Dietrich, Fabian Kuhn: Wolfgang Scheunemann. In: dies.: Die vergessenen Toten. Todesopfer des DDR-Grenzregimes in Berlin von der Teilung bis zum Mauerbau (1948–1961). Ch. Links, Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-86153-933-9, S. 243–248.
  • Heinrich Eppe (Hrsg.): Sozialistische Jugend im 20. Jahrhundert. Juventa, Weinheim/München 2008, ISBN 978-3-7799-1136-4, S. 276.

External links edit

  • Homepage des Bredow-Treffs im Wolfgang Scheunemann-Haus

January 01, 1970
wolfgang, scheunemann, april, 1933, september, 1948, first, victim, shot, volkspolizei, sector, border, berlin, shot, during, operation, unter, linden, during, berlin, blockade, memorial, plaque, house, berlin, moabit, contents, death, honor, references, bibli. Wolfgang Scheunemann 4 April 1933 9 September 1948 was the first victim shot by the Volkspolizei VP at the sector border in Berlin He was shot during a VP operation in Unter den Linden during the Berlin Blockade Memorial plaque at the Wolfgang Scheunemann House in Berlin Moabit Contents 1 Death 2 Honor 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksDeath edit nbsp Unter den Linden Hotel Adlon 1950 Scheunemann was fatally shot in about the third alcove to the left of the entrance The schoolboy Wolfgang Scheunemann son of a boilermaker lived in the Berlin district of Moabit in the British sector He was a group leader of the youth organization Die Falken which belonged to the SPD On 9 September 1948 Scheunemann joined 300 000 Berliners at a rally on Platz der Republik It was directed against the incipient division of Berlin through the blockade of the Western sectors and the violent expulsion of the freely elected city councillors and magistrate members from their seats in the Eastern sector by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany SED and the Soviet occupying power The Berlin police force was already divided into a section under the VP president Paul Markgraf who had been deposed by the Berlin magistrate but was kept in office in the Eastern sector by the Soviet city commander and the police president Johannes Stumm who had been appointed by the magistrate In the immediate vicinity of the rally there were scuffles between demonstrators and the police at the sector border at the Brandenburg Gate After the rally at which Ernst Reuter SPD had delivered his renown speech You peoples of the world look at this city a procession formed under SPD chairman Franz Neumann to deliver a protest resolution to the Allied Control Council The Kammergericht building was located in the American sector in Potsdamer Strasse Because of the mass of people jammed in Ebertstrasse numerous participants including Scheunemann and a Falken member from Moabit a 20 year old nurse took a detour through the Soviet sector The route was to lead via the open Brandenburg Gate Pariser Platz the boulevard Unter den Linden Wilhelmstrasse and Leipziger Strasse to Potsdamer Platz Since the beginning of the blockade the Volkspolizei had controlled vehicle and traffic at the border to the Western sectors without turning back pedestrians When policemen now tried to push the pedestrians streaming across Pariser Platz back to the gate from Unter den Linden they were insulted by the crowd and pelted with stones The police responded first with warning shots and then with shots into the crowd In the ensuing turmoil police arrested demonstrators while they attacked individual police officers and removed the red flag from the Brandenburg Gate to hoist a black red and gold one Scheunemann who had taken refuge with the nurse from shots and stone throwing in an alcove of the ruins of the Hotel Adlon was shot in the stomach by a policeman The VP s use of firearms caused a further twelve injuries Scheunemann died while being transported to Moabit Hospital Although the West Berlin police had offered a large reward and interviewed numerous witnesses they were unable to identify the perpetrator Scheunemann s death caused a great public stir in Berlin The SPD affiliated Telegraf newspaper emphasized that demonstrators had refused to accept the East Berlin police cordons His death was taken by the Falcons as an obligation to fight for and defend freedom In the centenary year of the democratic 1848 March Revolution a RIAS commemorative program placed Scheunemann in a row with the March martyrs of 1848 1 The SED controlled East Berlin press especially the Berliner Zeitung devoted a great deal of attention to the incidents at the Brandenburg Gate They depicted them as a kind of social democratic coup attempt mainly carried out by the Falcons organized by the fascist provocateurs Reuter and Friedensburg who had equipped the thugs with firearms The newspaper did not mention the death of 15 year old Scheunemann 2 Wolfgang Scheunemann was the only child of his parents After he was laid out in front of Tiergarten Town Hall where Franz Neumann spoke around 10 000 people accompanied the deceased to his funeral at St Johannis II Cemetery in Seestrasse 3 A few weeks later in apparent competition the SED leadership dedicated a funeral to Fritz Maque a policeman who had been the victim of a fatal incident at the sector border which far surpassed that of Scheunemann in terms of size and solemnity 4 Honor editA youth recreational facility in Berlin Moabit which was opened in 1961 was named Wolfgang Scheunemann House There has been a memorial plaque there ever since References edit Ulrich Pfeil Corine Defrance Bettina Greiner Hrsg Die Berliner Luftbrucke Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges Ch Links 2018 ISBN 978 3 86153 991 9 S 162 Zitate bei Gerhard Salter Die sowjetische Blockade und das Grenzregime in Berlin Von den zeitgenossischen Mediendiskursen zur kollektiven Erinnerung an den Kalten Krieg In Ulrich Pfeil Corine Defrance Bettina Greiner Hrsg Die Berliner Luftbrucke Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges Ch Links 2018 ISBN 978 3 86153 991 9 S 161 f Zeitzeugenbericht von Eberhard Grashoff siehe Andreas Forster Wolfgang Scheunemann Der erste Tote der deutschen Teilung Berliner Kurier vom 9 September 2018 Zur Konkurrenz siehe Gerhard Salter Die sowjetische Blockade und das Grenzregime in Berlin Von den zeitgenossischen Mediendiskursen zur kollektiven Erinnerung an den Kalten Krieg In Ulrich Pfeil Corine Defrance Bettina Greiner Hrsg Die Berliner Luftbrucke Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges Ch Links 2018 ISBN 978 3 86153 991 9 S 161 165 Bibliography editUlrich Pfeil Corine Defrance Bettina Greiner Hrsg Die Berliner Luftbrucke Erinnerungsort des Kalten Krieges Ch Links 2018 ISBN 978 3 86153 991 9 S 161 166 Gerhard Salter Johanna Dietrich Fabian Kuhn Wolfgang Scheunemann In dies Die vergessenen Toten Todesopfer des DDR Grenzregimes in Berlin von der Teilung bis zum Mauerbau 1948 1961 Ch Links Berlin 2016 ISBN 978 3 86153 933 9 S 243 248 Heinrich Eppe Hrsg Sozialistische Jugend im 20 Jahrhundert Juventa Weinheim Munchen 2008 ISBN 978 3 7799 1136 4 S 276 External links editHomepage des Bredow Treffs im Wolfgang Scheunemann Haus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wolfgang Scheunemann amp oldid 1219652337, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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