Arno Esch
Encyclopedia
Arno Esch was a German liberal
politician of the late 1940s in the Soviet Occupation Zone. He was executed at the Lubyanka prison
in Moscow in 1951 at the age of 23.
(Klaipėda). In late 1944 he was evacuated
to Mecklenburg
, where he was drafted into military service as a Navy
–Flakhelfer. In 1946 Esch started to study law at the University of Rostock
and became a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany
(LDPD). He opposed against the claimed leading role of the communist Youth organisation Freie Deutsche Jugend and was elected into the LDPD committee in 1948 and the LDPD executive committee in 1949. He was a co-author of the Eisenacher program of the LDPD.
Esch wrote several editorials for the Norddeutsche Zeitung, the newspaper of the Liberal-Democrats in Mecklenburg, in which he applied for the Separation of powers
, individual civil and political rights and the abolition of the death penalty. Esch caused a controversial for his dictum:" A Chinese liberal is more affiliated to me than a German communist".
Esch was imprisoned by the Soviet NKVD
on October 18, 1949 together with 12 other young Liberals and sentenced to death by a soviet Military tribunal
for "counterrevolutionary activities" in July 1950, he was transferred to Moscow, where the sentence was approved and executed at the Lubyanka prison
on July 24, 1951.
The judgement was voided in 1990 by the Soviet High Court.
-attached Arno-Esch-Foundation and the Arno-Esch-Award of the German Liberal Association of Academics are named after him. Streets in Rostock
, Schwerin
and Schönberg (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) as well as a memorial plaque at the University of Rostock
remind of Esch.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politician of the late 1940s in the Soviet Occupation Zone. He was executed at the Lubyanka prison
Lubyanka (KGB)
The Lubyanka is the popular name for the headquarters of the KGB and affiliated prison on Lubyanka Square in Moscow. It is a large building with a facade of yellow brick, designed by Alexander V...
in Moscow in 1951 at the age of 23.
Biography
Esch was born and brought up in MemelKlaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
(Klaipėda). In late 1944 he was evacuated
Evacuation of East Prussia
The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region between 20 January, and March 1945, as part of the evacuation of German civilians towards the end of World War II...
to Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, where he was drafted into military service as a Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
–Flakhelfer. In 1946 Esch started to study law at the University of Rostock
University of Rostock
The University of Rostock is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Founded in 1419, it is the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area...
and became a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany
The Liberal Democratic Party of Germany ) was a political party in East Germany. Like the other allied parties of the SED in the National Front it had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer.-Foundation:...
(LDPD). He opposed against the claimed leading role of the communist Youth organisation Freie Deutsche Jugend and was elected into the LDPD committee in 1948 and the LDPD executive committee in 1949. He was a co-author of the Eisenacher program of the LDPD.
Esch wrote several editorials for the Norddeutsche Zeitung, the newspaper of the Liberal-Democrats in Mecklenburg, in which he applied for the Separation of powers
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
, individual civil and political rights and the abolition of the death penalty. Esch caused a controversial for his dictum:" A Chinese liberal is more affiliated to me than a German communist".
Esch was imprisoned by the Soviet NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
on October 18, 1949 together with 12 other young Liberals and sentenced to death by a soviet Military tribunal
Military tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
for "counterrevolutionary activities" in July 1950, he was transferred to Moscow, where the sentence was approved and executed at the Lubyanka prison
Lubyanka (KGB)
The Lubyanka is the popular name for the headquarters of the KGB and affiliated prison on Lubyanka Square in Moscow. It is a large building with a facade of yellow brick, designed by Alexander V...
on July 24, 1951.
The judgement was voided in 1990 by the Soviet High Court.
Remembrance
The FDPFree Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
-attached Arno-Esch-Foundation and the Arno-Esch-Award of the German Liberal Association of Academics are named after him. Streets in Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
and Schönberg (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) as well as a memorial plaque at the University of Rostock
University of Rostock
The University of Rostock is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Founded in 1419, it is the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area...
remind of Esch.