Gert Bastian
Encyclopedia
Gert Bastian was a German
military officer and politician with the German Green Party.
Born in Munich
, Bastian volunteered the Wehrmacht
at the age of nineteen. In World War II
he served on the Eastern Front being wounded by a bullet in the right arm and in the head by a grenade fragment. He was also hit by American machine gun fire in France
. After the war he started a business which failed and he rejoined the military. From 1956 to 1980 Bastian served in the Bundeswehr
, retiring as a divisional
commander with the rank of Major General
. During this period Bastian's politics changed radically. In the 1950s he had been a member of the Christian Social Union
in his native Bavaria
. Yet Bastian was also an opponent of the planned stationing of Medium-Range missiles with nuclear warheads in Europe and joined the peace movement. In 1981 he was the joint founder of a group called "Generals for Peace".
Bastian was, from 29 March 1983 until 18 February 1987, an elected member of the Greens in the German Federal Parliament. Between 10 February 1984 and 18 March 1986, he was an independent member of Parliament having separated from the Green's Parliamentary group several times over his opposition to the rotation principle for leadership then enforced in the Greens. He was then deselected by the Green Party.
In the 1980s, Bastian was, together with his partner Petra Kelly
, one of the most important West German supporters of the opposition in the German Democratic Republic
.
Bastian was found dead in Bonn
on 19 October 1992 with Kelly. According to the police report Bastian shot Kelly dead in her sleep and afterwards killed himself. No accurate time of death could be determined because of the delay in finding the corpses. He was buried in a north Munich
cemetery.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
military officer and politician with the German Green Party.
Born in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bastian volunteered the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
at the age of nineteen. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served on the Eastern Front being wounded by a bullet in the right arm and in the head by a grenade fragment. He was also hit by American machine gun fire in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After the war he started a business which failed and he rejoined the military. From 1956 to 1980 Bastian served in the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, retiring as a divisional
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
commander with the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. During this period Bastian's politics changed radically. In the 1950s he had been a member of the Christian Social Union
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
in his native Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Yet Bastian was also an opponent of the planned stationing of Medium-Range missiles with nuclear warheads in Europe and joined the peace movement. In 1981 he was the joint founder of a group called "Generals for Peace".
Bastian was, from 29 March 1983 until 18 February 1987, an elected member of the Greens in the German Federal Parliament. Between 10 February 1984 and 18 March 1986, he was an independent member of Parliament having separated from the Green's Parliamentary group several times over his opposition to the rotation principle for leadership then enforced in the Greens. He was then deselected by the Green Party.
In the 1980s, Bastian was, together with his partner Petra Kelly
Petra Kelly
Petra Karin Kelly was a German politician and activist. She was instrumental in founding the German Green Party, the first Green party to rise to prominence worldwide.- Early life :...
, one of the most important West German supporters of the opposition in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
Bastian was found dead in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
on 19 October 1992 with Kelly. According to the police report Bastian shot Kelly dead in her sleep and afterwards killed himself. No accurate time of death could be determined because of the delay in finding the corpses. He was buried in a north Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
cemetery.
Sources
- Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty-Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism, by Peter Schweizer, Doubleday, 2002 (ISBN 0-385-50471-3).