Fritz Wenzel (politician)

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Fritz Wenzel (born December 3, 1910 in Breslau ; missing since November 1, 1964, declared dead on June 25, 1976 ) was a German theologian and politician ( SPD ).

Life and work

After attending elementary and middle school, orphanage and school institution and graduating from the reform school in Bolesławiec Wenzel took in 1932 a study of Protestant theology and philosophy at the University of Breslau in which he in 1935 with the graduation to the Dr. phil. , with both theological state exams and in 1937 with the doctorate to Dr. Lic. Theol. finished. He first worked as an assistant chaplain in Silesia and was active as a pastor in Wroclaw from 1939. Here he was expelled by the Gestapo in early 1945 .

Wenzel was parish priest in the Waldenburger Bergland from 1945 to 1946 , then moved to West Germany as an expellee and settled in Lower Saxony . From 1946 to 1950 he worked as a pastor in the refugee pastoral care of the Inner Mission in Braunschweig and at the same time worked as a lecturer in religious studies at the Kant University and at adult education centers. Since 1950 he has been a full-time lecturer. In 1947 he was one of the founders of the Association of Anti-War Pastors. He also served as President of the German Peace Society from 1951 to 1957 . At meetings, Wenzel said it was better to languish in prison for peace than to die on the battlefield for war ; In 1957, Der Spiegel described him as the most prominent opponent of military service, but at the same time made clear his fickle attitude as a SPD member of the German Bundestag in the debate about the passing of the conscription law : "He only addressed the issue once during the deliberations on the conscription law - in the second reading Lectern and advocated that the concept of conscription should be defined even more broadly than the federal government had planned. "He was committed to ensuring that pastors should not be exempted from conscription, and made it clear how little he cared about "As a social democratic member of parliament to fight the defense policy of the federal government by weakening the conscription law".

Wenzel disappeared without a trace under mysterious circumstances on October 31, 1964. He left a note on the kitchen table that read, "Suddenly had to go away. I'll be back on Tuesday noon. ”On June 25, 1976, he was pronounced dead.

politics

Wenzel, a member of the SPD since 1930, was a member of the German Bundestag from its first election in 1949 to 1957. From 1949 to 1953 he represented the constituency of Wolfenbüttel - Goslar-Land in parliament . In the second electoral term he entered the Bundestag via the state list of the SPD Lower Saxony.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Do it like Adenauer . In: Der Spiegel . No. 3 , 1957, pp. 14-20 ( online ).
  2. ^ Sealed envelopes . In: Der Spiegel . No. 28 , 1965, p. 31-33 ( online ).
personal data
SURNAME Wenzel, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian and politician (SPD), Member of the Bundestag
DATE OF BIRTH December 3, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Wroclaw
DATE OF DEATH after November 1, 1964