Movement 2 June
Encyclopedia
Movement 2 June was a West German terrorist organization that was based out of West Berlin
. Active only from 1971–1980, the anarchist group was one of the few violent groups at the time in West Germany
. Although Movement 2 June did not share the same ideology as the Red Army Faction
(Baader-Meinhof Gang), these extremist organizations were allies. The Movement 2 June did not establish as much influence in West Germany as their Marxist
counterparts, but is best known for kidnapping West Berlin Mayoral candidate Peter Lorenz
.
and violent extremist group Tupamaros West-Berlin
, Movement 2 June was formed in 1971. In contrast to the Red Army Faction
, Movement 2 June was motivated by anarchist incentives rather than Marxist ones. This organization derived their name from the date that German University student Benno Ohnesorg
was killed by police in 1967. Participating in a protest of Germany’s meeting with Iran
, Ohnesorg was shot when the protest became aggressive. His death propelled the left-wing movement in West Germany, influencing politicians, political activist groups, and violent extremist groups. Although the organization never became particularly notorious, Movement 2nd June was most recognized in the first phase of German post-World War II
terrorism
.
became one of the leaders of the Movement 2nd June. Originally taking part in Kommune 1, his comical take on revolutionary activity had him dubbed “fun guerilla” by the general public. In 1967, Teufel became a quasi-icon in West Germany after being arrested. Charged with treason
and the attempted assassination of United States Vice President Hubert Humphrey
, Teufel was eventually acquitted. His humorous image was constructed following his arrest, as he and his associates were brought into questioning with a flour-pudding-yogurt concoction that was to be used as a “bomb.” On June 2, 1967, Teufel was arrested again, this time for throwing a rock at police and provoking the riot at which Benno Ohnesorg was killed. This time, he served six months in jail.
Although the Movement 2 June never developed a clear ideology or purpose for its existence, Teufel’s political activism was rooted in his hatred for his parents’ generation. Just like many students and activists of his age, Teufel was angered by the Nazi regime of the previous generation, and fought to eliminate that image from Germany
. Much of the resentment was directed towards those individuals who had played a role in the Nazi republic, especially those who had never taken any responsibility for their actions.
, the extremist group’s most frequent activity was bombing.
On February 2, 1972, the Movement 2 June declared responsibility for a bombing at the British Yacht Club in West Berlin. The attack, which killed the boat’s engineer, was later found out to be an act of assistance for the Irish Republican Army
. During the trial, which took place in February 1974, Movement 2 June and other extremists started a riot at the court’s exterior.
On the fifth anniversary of Benno Ohnesorg’s death, a bomb explodes in West Berlin. To this day, no group has taken responsibility for the bombing, although it was inferred that attack was the action of Movement 2 June.
In West Berlin on July 27, 1973, the Movement 2 June stole 200,000 Deutsch Marks from a local bank.
In mid-1974, Movement 2 June member Ulrich Schumücker was shot to death by others in the organization. Although it is not clear what the rationale was for the shooting, Schumücker was believed to be an informant. The opposing argument was that the murder was an accident.
After Red Army Faction member Holger Meins
dies in prison, the Movement 2 June attempts a kidnapping of Superior Court Justice Günter von Drenkmann. Von Drenkmann is killed in the process. The effort to kidnap von Drenkmann was believed to be retaliation for the poor treatment of Meins during his time in prison. Meins and other Red Army Faction associates were force-fed during a hunger strike
, an action that angered the radical groups of West Berlin. While much of the general public was horrified by the death of the Superior Court Justice, many others believed that the Meins’ cruel treatment by security officers was unethical, and justified von Drenkmann’s death.
In an effort to free several imprisoned Red Army Faction and Movement 2 June affiliates, the extremists publicized a photo which showed Lorenz with a sign around his neck that read “Peter Lorenz, prisoner of the 2nd June Movement”.
The photo also contained a message that demanded the release of Gabi Kröcher-Tiedemann, Horst Mahler, Ingrid Siepmann, Rolf Heissler, Rolf Pohle, and Verena Becker
from prison. Along with the release of these terrorists, Movement 2 June also indicated that a jet must be provided to fly the radicals from prison, and 9,000 Deutsch Marks should be given to the terrorists. The West German government met their demands, releasing all but Horst Mahler, who did not want to be set free.
Movement 2 June associate, Till Meyer was taken into custody after a March 29, 1972 shooting in Bielfield at which no one was wounded. By December he was convicted of the attempted murder of a policeman, and imprisoned for three years. Later that June, Bernhard Braun is discovered and arrested for his activity in violent attacks, along with Red Army Faction member Brigitte Mohnhaupt
. In 1973, Movement 2 June member Gabi Kröcher-Tiedemann was arrested after shooting a policeman and sentenced to eight years in prison. She was set free in 1975 as a part of the bargain in the Peter Lorenz kidnapping.
Within a few months of each other in late 1973, Inge Viett and Till Meyer of Movement 2 June escaped from prison respectively.
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. Active only from 1971–1980, the anarchist group was one of the few violent groups at the time in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. Although Movement 2 June did not share the same ideology as the Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
(Baader-Meinhof Gang), these extremist organizations were allies. The Movement 2 June did not establish as much influence in West Germany as their Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
counterparts, but is best known for kidnapping West Berlin Mayoral candidate Peter Lorenz
Peter Lorenz
Peter Lorenz was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union .In 1975 Lorenz was a candidate for mayor of West Berlin. He was kidnapped by the militant Movement 2 June group three days before the elections on 27 February...
.
History
Rising from the ashes of political group Kommune 1Kommune 1
Kommune 1 or K1 was the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. It was created on January 12, 1967, in West Berlin and finally dissolved in November 1969....
and violent extremist group Tupamaros West-Berlin
Tupamaros West-Berlin
The Tupamaros West-Berlin were a small German Marxist organization which carried out a series of bombings and arsons at the end of the 1960s. In 1969 Dieter Kunzelmann, Georg von Rauch, and a few others traveled to Jordan to train at a Fatah camp, forming the Tupamaros on their return to Germany....
, Movement 2 June was formed in 1971. In contrast to the Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
, Movement 2 June was motivated by anarchist incentives rather than Marxist ones. This organization derived their name from the date that German University student Benno Ohnesorg
Benno Ohnesorg
Benno Ohnesorg was a German university student killed by a policeman during a demonstration in West Berlin.- Death :On June 2, 1967, Ohnesorg participated in a protest held near the Deutsche Oper, aimed against the state visit of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was attending a...
was killed by police in 1967. Participating in a protest of Germany’s meeting with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Ohnesorg was shot when the protest became aggressive. His death propelled the left-wing movement in West Germany, influencing politicians, political activist groups, and violent extremist groups. Although the organization never became particularly notorious, Movement 2nd June was most recognized in the first phase of German post-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...
terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.
Fritz Teufel
After forming in 1971, political activist Fritz TeufelFritz Teufel
Fritz Teufel was a prominent figure in the West German political left of the 1960s. One of the founders of Kommune 1, Teufel cultivated a theatrical, humorous public image--encapsulated in his idea of the "Spaßguerilla" . In the 1970s he rejected this image and became involved with the violent...
became one of the leaders of the Movement 2nd June. Originally taking part in Kommune 1, his comical take on revolutionary activity had him dubbed “fun guerilla” by the general public. In 1967, Teufel became a quasi-icon in West Germany after being arrested. Charged with treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and the attempted assassination of United States Vice President Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
, Teufel was eventually acquitted. His humorous image was constructed following his arrest, as he and his associates were brought into questioning with a flour-pudding-yogurt concoction that was to be used as a “bomb.” On June 2, 1967, Teufel was arrested again, this time for throwing a rock at police and provoking the riot at which Benno Ohnesorg was killed. This time, he served six months in jail.
Although the Movement 2 June never developed a clear ideology or purpose for its existence, Teufel’s political activism was rooted in his hatred for his parents’ generation. Just like many students and activists of his age, Teufel was angered by the Nazi regime of the previous generation, and fought to eliminate that image from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Much of the resentment was directed towards those individuals who had played a role in the Nazi republic, especially those who had never taken any responsibility for their actions.
Bombings, kidnappings, and other violent acts
Although the Movement 2 June achieved their greatest feat kidnapping Peter LorenzPeter Lorenz
Peter Lorenz was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union .In 1975 Lorenz was a candidate for mayor of West Berlin. He was kidnapped by the militant Movement 2 June group three days before the elections on 27 February...
, the extremist group’s most frequent activity was bombing.
On February 2, 1972, the Movement 2 June declared responsibility for a bombing at the British Yacht Club in West Berlin. The attack, which killed the boat’s engineer, was later found out to be an act of assistance for the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
. During the trial, which took place in February 1974, Movement 2 June and other extremists started a riot at the court’s exterior.
On the fifth anniversary of Benno Ohnesorg’s death, a bomb explodes in West Berlin. To this day, no group has taken responsibility for the bombing, although it was inferred that attack was the action of Movement 2 June.
In West Berlin on July 27, 1973, the Movement 2 June stole 200,000 Deutsch Marks from a local bank.
In mid-1974, Movement 2 June member Ulrich Schumücker was shot to death by others in the organization. Although it is not clear what the rationale was for the shooting, Schumücker was believed to be an informant. The opposing argument was that the murder was an accident.
After Red Army Faction member Holger Meins
Holger Meins
Holger Klaus Meins was a German cinematography student who joined the Red Army Faction in the early 1970s and died on hunger strike in prison.-As a Revolutionary:...
dies in prison, the Movement 2 June attempts a kidnapping of Superior Court Justice Günter von Drenkmann. Von Drenkmann is killed in the process. The effort to kidnap von Drenkmann was believed to be retaliation for the poor treatment of Meins during his time in prison. Meins and other Red Army Faction associates were force-fed during a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
, an action that angered the radical groups of West Berlin. While much of the general public was horrified by the death of the Superior Court Justice, many others believed that the Meins’ cruel treatment by security officers was unethical, and justified von Drenkmann’s death.
Kidnapping of Peter Lorenz
Three days before mayoral election in West Berlin in 1975, candidate Peter Lorenz was kidnapped by Movement 2 June members. Lorenz was cornered while on the road, and was thrown into another vehicle after his driver was brutally struck.In an effort to free several imprisoned Red Army Faction and Movement 2 June affiliates, the extremists publicized a photo which showed Lorenz with a sign around his neck that read “Peter Lorenz, prisoner of the 2nd June Movement”.
The photo also contained a message that demanded the release of Gabi Kröcher-Tiedemann, Horst Mahler, Ingrid Siepmann, Rolf Heissler, Rolf Pohle, and Verena Becker
Verena Becker
Verena Becker was a West German member of the Movement 2 June and later the Red Army Faction. She was under the control of West German intelligence since 1972 at least.-Terrorist career:...
from prison. Along with the release of these terrorists, Movement 2 June also indicated that a jet must be provided to fly the radicals from prison, and 9,000 Deutsch Marks should be given to the terrorists. The West German government met their demands, releasing all but Horst Mahler, who did not want to be set free.
Arrests and escapes
Throughout the course of the organization’s history, several notable arrests resulted in the imprisonment of Movement 2 June members.Movement 2 June associate, Till Meyer was taken into custody after a March 29, 1972 shooting in Bielfield at which no one was wounded. By December he was convicted of the attempted murder of a policeman, and imprisoned for three years. Later that June, Bernhard Braun is discovered and arrested for his activity in violent attacks, along with Red Army Faction member Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Brigitte Margret Ida Mohnhaupt is a German militant associated with the second generation of the Red Army Faction members. She was also part of the Socialist Patients' Collective...
. In 1973, Movement 2 June member Gabi Kröcher-Tiedemann was arrested after shooting a policeman and sentenced to eight years in prison. She was set free in 1975 as a part of the bargain in the Peter Lorenz kidnapping.
Within a few months of each other in late 1973, Inge Viett and Till Meyer of Movement 2 June escaped from prison respectively.
Disbandment
On June 2, 1980, the Movement 2 June disbanded. Those members, who wished to continue to practice their violent extremism joined the Red Army Faction.Members
- Michael Baumann
- Ralf Reinders
- Ronald Fritsch
- Georg von Rauch
- Till Meyer
- Fritz Teufel
- Gabi Kröcher-Tiedemann
- Verena Becker
- Norbert Kröcher
- Inge Viett
- Gabrielle Rollnick
- Zachary Schwartz
- Berhard Braun
See also
- Fritz TeufelFritz TeufelFritz Teufel was a prominent figure in the West German political left of the 1960s. One of the founders of Kommune 1, Teufel cultivated a theatrical, humorous public image--encapsulated in his idea of the "Spaßguerilla" . In the 1970s he rejected this image and became involved with the violent...
- Red Army FactionRed Army FactionThe radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
- Kommune 1Kommune 1Kommune 1 or K1 was the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. It was created on January 12, 1967, in West Berlin and finally dissolved in November 1969....
- West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
- terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
- anarchismAnarchismAnarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
- left-wing
External links
- Baader-Meinhof http://www.baader-meinhof.com/
- Terrorism in Germany-Outline http://iweb.tntech.edu/pcampana/germ3520terror.htm