Philipp Sonntag (Author)

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Philipp Sonntag (born December 28, 1938 in Halle (Saale) ) is a German physicist, cyberneticist, programmer, political scientist, futurologist, author and publicist. As an employee of Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker (1964–1978), he was involved in his research on the consequences of war and war prevention and published his own work on this and other socio-political topics. More recently he has published reports from contemporary witnesses and writes socio-critical satirical fiction, e. T. as a fictional character "time machine navigator Phila".

Philipp Sunday

Childhood, education, studies

Philipp Sonntag's mother was of Jewish origin. In 1944, when he was 5 years old and his brother 13, she took her own life in the hope of saving her children if the father marries an "Aryan" woman. So it happened, and Philipp was able to survive the persecution of the Nazis as a “Child Survivor”.

This tragic event and a difficult childhood in Munich with a new mother and new siblings - he lived "like in a sullen hotel" was formative for his life and his commitment to violence and war.

After graduating from high school in Gräfelfing near Munich in 1958 , he studied physics at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) from 1958 to 1964 and several subjects in economics at the LMU and the University of Hamburg as well as a few semesters of political science at the "Hochschule für Political Sciences ”in Munich. As a graduate physicist, he went to Hamburg in 1964.

In 1970 he received his doctorate from the Technical University of Hanover with the dissertation "Mathematical analysis of the effects of nuclear weapon explosions in the FRG" for a doctorate in natural sciences (Dr. rer. Nat.).

On the choice of his fields of study, Sonntag later stated: "As a child survivor, I survived the persecution of the Nazis and studied physics and political science at the same time from 1958–1964 with the declared aim of helping to prevent war and other violence."

Research on the consequences of war and war prevention and on technology and society with Carl-Friedrich von Weizsäcker in Hamburg and Starnberg

Sonntag worked for Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker from 1964 to 1978 , at the "Research Center of the Association of German Scientists " (VDW) until 1969 , then at the " Max Planck Institute for Research into Living Conditions in the Scientific and Technical World " in Starnberg . From 1964 to 1971 he was chief programmer for a large-scale study "Consequences of War and War Prevention", both with regard to the possible effects of a nuclear war in Germany, as well as with models regarding the escalation risks. The study was made in the context of the " Göttingen Eighteen " who refused to build nuclear weapons and who then wanted to publicly demonstrate the dangers posed by nuclear weapons from NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

As a result, von Weizsäcker published the book "Consequences of War and War Prevention" in 1971.

Sonntag writes about his share: “I was responsible for the extensive computer programs on the two topics:

  • Consequences of various nuclear wars in Germany
  • War prevention and, above all, avoidance of escalation and expansion of a war that has already started. ",

and he describes his way of working: "There was only one suitable large computer in Hamburg and I rented a wild flat there very close to feed in my punch cards a few times in the middle of the night - the computer was overrun during the day."

Sonntag refers to three basic results of his research:

  • “Even the use of very few atomic bombs, such as those prepared for military combat (tank war), would cause enormous damage, medically, economically, and ecologically.
  • Attempting a nuclear defense of Germany would have destroyed our country for a very long time and made it largely uninhabitable. In 1971, this was the case when a fraction of the nuclear weapons aimed at us were deployed, for example 10% of tactical, i.e. H. nuclear bombs intended for military combat. It also applied to 3% of medium-range weapons aimed at large German cities, for example cruise missiles, cruise missiles that can be launched from airplanes and that are able to reach their target through their own pre-programming of the terrain and that could hardly be defended against during this operation - and are.
  • Once a nuclear war had begun, it could not be stopped technically, militarily or politically. The dynamic in the direction of escalation is enormous! "

He also characterizes his relationship to von Weizsäcker and other nuclear physicists:

“For fourteen years, as a close colleague of Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, I was in contact with German nuclear physicists and other people who deal with the armaments and political handling of nuclear weapons (atomic bombs and carrier weapons). It was my "hard dream job" to do something against nuclear war. I was by far the youngest in the VDW. It was clear to all the venerable professors: I had to freeze in awe! And yes, I was in awe: I admired the exemplary commitment in the VDW against the danger of atomic bombs! Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker was in charge. The action was morally impeccable. "

Another project from 1973 to 1977 concerned the question: "What does the gross national product mean for the culture of life?", Examined with the tool of the labor-consumption calculation.

His work at the VDW, at the Max Planck Institute and then at the International Institute for Comparative Society Research at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (IIVG) enabled him to use all of the literature in his fields of arms control, nuclear war damage and the risk of escalation, as well as military electronics and to visit the corresponding institutes (mostly in the USA) to network.

Fundamental issues related to the causes of violence. For example, he was with von Weizsäcker from 1974 to 1977 in the group “Eastern Wisdom and Western Science”.

Research on the causes of war and the information society with Karl W. Deutsch in Berlin

Sonntag was involved with Karl W. Deutsch (1912 - 1992) in the "General Systems Society", based on the "Cayenne" neuron model designed by him in 1957 and continuously developed. For this reason, Deutsch had invited Sunday to Harvard Littauer Center for six months in 1972 .

From 1978 to 1986, Sonntag worked for Karl W. Deutsch in the IIVG.

The causes of war were systematically determined in this institute. The transition from the industrial society to the information society was examined using a variety of historical and forward-looking indicators.

The publications included:

a politometric study of global armament ",

a presentation of the control problems in business and politics,

and some volumes on interdisciplinary economics (see below: Works edited by Philipp Sonntag).

Research on technology and economy at the VDI / VDE Technology Center Information Technology in Teltow

Between 1986 and 2000, Sonntag worked as an employee of the VDI / VDE Technologiezentrum Informationstechnik GmbH in Teltow . A number of technology impact assessments have been provided for the EU. He published works on technology and economics a. a. together with Heinrich Revermann and Ulrich Brasche and also evaluations on technical and industrial development for the European Commission and for regional technology funding programs.

Lecturer activity

In the 1970s and 1980s, Sonntag was a lecturer in innovation management, social indicators, conflict management, etc. at the University of Political Sciences in Munich and at the FU Berlin , department of communication studies.

Activity for companies

From 1963 to 1978, Sonntag was a partner at Rossmann Feinelectric GmbH, Gauting near Munich. It was about the production of transformers and motors as well as the development of security technology and cybernetic models.

As a founding member and publicist of the IFIAT (Institute for Interdisciplinary and Alternative Technology Development, Styria), he was active from 2001 to 2008 in the industrialization of research results, especially bionic saws. With its business plan for the bionic saw, the company "Biberzahn" was one of the five national winners in 2000 in the startup start-up competition.

His activities within the framework of PI Patent Interconsulting, which was active until 2007, included business plans for companies, funding applications, advertising texts, strategic and pragmatic innovation management, product advertising for microsystem technology, market launch for wire tensioners, and biographies.

2001–2004 he supported his son Leo in the FTS Fördertechnik Sonntag GmbH, Berlin office, on the project to modernize forklifts.

Journalistic and journalistic engagement in associations

For several years now, Sonntag has been an honorary member of the board of three associations, primarily as a journalist. He was or is a member of two others.

Child Survivors Germany e. V.

For “Child Survivors Germany e. V. ", whose members survived the Holocaust as children, he has published two book series:

The four volumes in the Child Survivors in Germany book series “Bitter Past! - Better future? ”With the introductory volume by Philipp Sonntag, Liesel Binzer's memories of Theresienstadt in Volume 2, the experiences in dealing with Child Survivors in Volume 3 and the articles on the“ Unknown Holocaust in Eastern Europe ”in Volume 4.

The six volumes of the book series ƒThe restlessness of contemporary witnesses of the Holocaust “published by Beggerow Verlag.

Volume V Forever Alert is a summary in English that is available for free download.

In 2014 he and Max Lezer organized the annual meeting of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants (WFJCSH & D) in Berlin.

A pedagogical compilation is "Dealing with contemporary witnesses - experiences from the perspective of survivors of the Holocaust"

Network Future - Society for Future Design eV

For the "Netzwerk Zukunft - Gesellschaft für Zukunftsgestaltung eV", founded by Robert Jungk , he writes comments on current developments in arms control and war, planning disaster control, human rights, etc.

Esperanto League Berlin / Brandenburg eV

Philipp Sonntag learned the international language Esperanto in a course with the Esperanto writer Lena Karpunina in 2012 in Berlin. He is involved in the Esperanto League Berlin / Brandenburg in addition to board work with a focus on homaranism, a kind of pragmatic humanism that unites people , and linguistic issues.

TEA - Diary and Memory Archive Berlin eV

Sonntag is active in the design of the TEA association and the associated Beggerow Verlag. This includes, together with the publisher Karin Manke-Hengsbach, the publication of the book series “To truths united”, in which contemporary witnesses from East and West Germany contribute to topics (see below: Works edited by Philipp Sonntag.).

VDW - Association of German Scientists V.

From 1964 to 1970 he was an employee of the VDW in Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker's team for the study "Consequences of War and War Prevention".

As a contemporary witness , he feels it is his duty to pass on his experiences, experiences and insights through journalistic work, but also through lectures. In the lecture "German nuclear physicists took responsibility because of nuclear armament - controversial roles of sensitive actors before and in democracy", held in 2017 at the Berlin State Center for Civic Education on the basis of a note from the personal knowledge of the nuclear physicists in preparation for one planned for 2022/2023 He warns of the book with an update on nuclear armament:

“The nuclear physicists who triggered the nuclear armament were very shocked by the existential threat to humanity. All other people have the same challenge, everyone is required to get involved. As a contemporary witness, I can only outline the beginning. In the sense of the atomic age, now is a kind of "good old days", which is so peaceful that something can now be done against nuclear war. Such a commitment would be in the spirit of most former and now living atomic physicists.

He carried out a systematic compilation of the main topic: "The dispute about nuclear weapons - arguments of the Adenauer era ".

As part of the event organized by VDW and IULANA to award the 2015 Whistleblower Prizes on Friday, October 16, 2015, in the Citizens' Hall of the City Hall in Karlsruhe, he gave the laudation to Dr. Léon Gruenbaum , who was awarded the Posthumous Whistleblower Prize.

The socially critical satirical writer

After 2000, the focus of his work gradually shifted from science to literature.

As an essayist, he set accents in the literary magazine "Wildbrot Wortbild" from 2007–2017 with his editorials .

“Mal what do”, an interactive crime story for the Internet from 1997 (together with programmer Thomas Würffel / c-base for the IT implementation) was included in the CD “technically modern” literature at an “Internet literature competition” by IBM and DIE ZEIT . Each reader can choose the point of view of different people with a click, sometimes also their emotions.

With his black space humor "stomach eater - lust-killing recipes.", Which he as time machine navigator Phila from the IKE / Institute for Artificial Emotion / c-base Berlin, on December 21, 2003 in the traditional "Spacemeal 2003" competition of c-base eV Berlin presented the best space meal / show and story, he was the winner of the 1st prize.

A first summary of his essays and poems happened in 2009 in the book “Ungereimtes und Gereimtes - with painterly interpretations by Sabine Kaemmel.

His satirical and socially critical texts are also present on his own web pages on the Internet, such as the "Instructions for Awarding the Federal Verflixtkreuz " and "Violence Tax" on his web page Noble terrorists and utopias, such as his talk shows uploaded from the future on the web -Page "Sociology with Kafka ". He has his satirical utopian fan page on Facebook.

He created the fictional character “Time machine navigator Phila”, which, for example, in the “talk shows from the future”, enables different living beings to look at our present time and at us with their original view.

Personal

Sonntag was first married to Uta (née Koschmann) and her second marriage to Mechthild (née Treblin). He has a son (Leo) and a granddaughter (Laura). He has been living with his former childhood friend Agnes since 2006.

Works

An overview of his publications can be found on the homepage (see web links).

Scientific writings

  • Mathematical analysis of the effects of nuclear weapons in the FRG. In: C.-F. von Weizsäcker (Ed.): Consequences of War and War Prevention. Hanser, Munich 1971, pp. 75-198. (also dissertation, TU Hannover)
  • with U.-P. Reich, H.-W. Holub: Labor Consumption Bill. Axiomatic criticism and extension of the national accounts. Bund, Cologne 1977.
  • Nuclear Disaster Prevention and Relief. Osang, Bonn 1981.
  • A planet is defending itself. Politometric study of global armament. WZB series of publications, 1981.
  • with Peter Otto: Paths to the information society - control problems in business and politics. dtv, Munich 1985.
  • with Heinrich Revermann: Key Technologies - Where Europe's Competitive Opportunities Are. VDE, Berlin 1987.
  • with Ulrich Brasche: Intelligent Sensors - Technology, Applications and European Markets. VDE, Berlin 1989.
  • Annual reports microsystem technology . VDI / VDE-IT. Annually from 1994 to 1999.
  • German nuclear physicists took responsibility for nuclear armament. Controversial roles of sensitive actors before and in democracy. Lecture given at the Berlin State Center for Political Education 2017.
  • The dispute over nuclear weapons - arguments of the Adenauer era. Issue 25 of "Military Policy Documentation eV", 1982, Haag and Herchen Verlag, 113 pages.
  • Philipp Sonntag: Challenge of Homaranism . In: Esperanto. Language and culture in Berlin and Brandenburg 111 years, anniversary book 1903–2014, editor: Fritz Wollenberg. Esperanto-Verband Berlin-Brandenburg (Ed.), Mondial, New York - Berlin 2017, 509 articles in German and Esperanto, pp. 342–354. ISBN 978-1-59569-340-2 .

Fiction

  • with programmer Thomas Würffel “Mal was tun”, an interactive crime story for the Internet. / c-base for IT implementation, 1997.
  • “Stomach eater - lust-killing recipes.” Presented by the time machine navigator Phila, alias Ph. Sonntag, IKE / Institute for Artificial Emotion / c-base Berlin, on December 21, 2003 in the traditional “Spacemeal 2003”.
  • The inconsistent and the rhymed - with painterly interpretations by Sabine Kaemmel . Projects Verlag Cornelius, Halle / Saale April 2009. an art (full) book. 147 pages, ISBN 978-3-86634-690-1 .
  • Growling of love - As a mouse among big hitchhikers . Thurneysser-Verlag, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-939176-56-6  ( formally incorrect ) ( direct download [PDF; 3.4 MB ; accessed on May 20, 2020] Graphics by Sabine Kaemmel; ISBN as printed in book). Available under books. Philipp Sunday .;

Works edited by Philipp Sonntag

This includes four book series: with Jens Harms and Christian Leipert on “Interdisciplinary Economics” (1980–1990), two book series for “Child Survivors” (2017–2020) and with Karin Manke: “To truths united” (2009-):

Interdisciplinary Economics

Arnoldshainer writings on interdisciplinary economics. (Eds. Jens Harms, Christian Leipert and Philipp Sonntag), Verlag Haag + Herchen, Frankfurt / Main (1980–1990). The three editors in the series were also the editors of Volume 1, and Sonntag was the editor of two other volumes:

  • Volume 1: Alternative Economics and Economic Theory. 1980, 280 pp., ISBN 3-88129-328-0 .
  • Volume 3: Armaments and Economics. Haag and Herchen, Frankfurt, 1982, 270 pages, ISBN 3-88129-503-8 ,

Two book series for "Child Survivors"

“Bitter past! - Better future? "At" Hentrich & Hentrich - The publishing house for Jewish culture and contemporary history, Berlin ":

  • Philipp Sonntag: We survivors of the Nazi terror in action. , Volume 1. 2017, 108 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-3-95565-211-1 (editor's introductory volume).
  • Liesel Binzer: I shaped my life in / because of / despite Theresienstadt. Volume 2. 2017, 84 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-3-95565-212-8 .
  • Character, anger and resistance. Child survivors from an expert perspective. Volume 3. 2017, 96 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-3-95565-230-2 .
  • with Alexej Heistver (Ed.): Unknown Holocaust in Eastern Europe . Old cruelties, new challenges. Volume 4. 2018, 72 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-3-95565-231-9 .

"The unrest of the contemporary witnesses of the Holocaust" in Beggerow-Verlag, Berlin:

  • Child survivors as contemporary witnesses for then until now. , Volume I. 2018, 160 pages. ISBN 978-3-936103-60-1
  • Karin Weimann: Child Survivors as a guest on January 27th. Remembering and RESPONSIBILITY in the Ruth Cohn School. Volume II. 2018, 136 pages. ISBN 978-3-936103-61-8 .
  • Alexej Heistver (Ed.): Wounded Childhood - Holocaust Survivors from the Soviet Union in Germany . Volume III. 2018, 426 pages. ISBN 978-3-936103-62-5 .
  • Alfred Lieball: Childhood in Difficult Times - Persecution and War, Liberation and Frustration, Worries and Hope. Volume IV. 2018. ISBN 978-3-936103-66-3 .
  • Philipp Sonntag: Forever Alert - German Child Survivors in Action Before 1945 and Beyond . Volume V. 2019. 240 pages. ISBN 978-3-936103-75-5 .
  • Gabriel Berger: In Search of a Home - A Jewish Family in the 20th Century. Volume VI.

With Karin Manke: The book series "United to truths - authors from East and West tell" published by Beggerow-Verlag Berlin

  • Volume 1: United to truths. An encounter between 31 authors from East and West. 2009, 2nd edition, 311 pages; Brochure ISBN 978-3-936103-25-0 .
  • Volume 6 From loving to loving - the longing of the overwhelmed ". 2018, 192 pages; brosch. ISBN 978-3-936103-65-6 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sylvia Dienel: The suicide of his mother saved his life. In: Freie Presse, Chemnitzer Verlag and Druck GmbH & Co from June 15, 2017. [1]
  2. ↑ This is how Philipp Sonntag himself describes this situation. [2]
  3. ^ Philipp Sonntag: Mathematical analysis of the effects of nuclear weapons in the FRG. In: C.-F. von Weizsäcker (Ed.): Consequences of War and War Prevention. Hanser, Munich 1971, pp. 75–198 (also dissertation, TU Hannover).
  4. ↑ Philipp Sonntag: German nuclear physicists took responsibility for nuclear armament. Controversial roles of sensitive actors before and in democracy. Lecture given on October 26, 2017 at an event of the Berlin Contemporary Witness Exchange [3] in the Berlin State Center for Civic Education, Hardenbergstr. 22, p. 1 (Philipp Sonntag: German atomic physicists ...) pdf [4]
  5. ↑ Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker (ed.): Consequences of war and war prevention. Munich, Hanser Verlag, (1971), 599 pages.
  6. ↑ Philipp Sonntag: German atomic physicists ..., p. 14.
  7. ^ Philipp Sonntag: German atomic physicists ..., p. 9
  8. ↑ with U.-P. Reich, H.-W. Holub: Labor Consumption Bill. Axiomatic criticism and extension of the national accounts. Bund, Cologne 1977.
  9. ↑ See also Project 33 in IFIAT [5] and a compilation of the applications [6]
  10. ↑ A planet is defending itself. Politometric study of global armament. WZB series of publications, 1981.
  11. ↑ with Peter Otto: Paths to the information society - control problems in business and politics. dtv, Munich 1985.
  12. ↑ Annual reports microsystem technology. VDI / VDE-IT. Annually from 1994 to 1999.
  13. ↑ with Heinrich Revermann: Key Technologies - Where Europe's Chances of Competition are. VDE, Berlin 1987.
  14. ↑ with Ulrich Brasche: Intelligent Sensors - Technology, Applications and European Markets. VDE, Berlin 1989.
  15. ↑ Homepage Child Survivors Germany eV [7]
  16. ↑ The book series "The Restlessness of Contemporary Witnesses of the Holocaust" published by Beggerow Verlag [8]
  17. ↑ Forever Alert is available as a free download. [9]
  18. ↑ Dealing with contemporary witnesses [10]
  19. ^ Homepage of Netzwerk Zukunft [11]
  20. ↑ Homepage of the Esperanto League Berlin / Brandenburg [12]
  21. ^ Philipp Sonntag: The challenge of homaranism. In: Esperanto. Language and culture in Berlin and Brandenburg 111 years, anniversary book 1903–2014, editor: Fritz Wollenberg. Esperanto-Verband Berlin-Brandenburg (Ed.), Mondial, New York - Berlin 2017, 509 articles in German and Esperanto, pp. 342–354. ISBN 978-1-59569-340-2
  22. ↑ TEA [13]
  23. ↑ Beggerow-Verlag [14]
  24. ^ Philipp Sonntag: German atomic physicists ..., p. 23
  25. ^ Philipp Sonntag: "The dispute about atomic armament - arguments of the Adenauer era" , issue 25 of "Militärpolitik Documentation eV", 1982, Haag and Herchen Verlag, 113 pp.
  26. ↑ Laudation to Dr. Léon Gruenbaum. In: Dieter Deiseroth and Hartmut Graßl (eds.): Whisteblower revelations . BWV Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin 2016, pp. 129–140. Video of the laudation. [15]
  27. ↑ On the crime story [16]
  28. ↑ To the story [17]
  29. ↑ Philipp Sonntag: Inconsistent and Rhymed - with painterly interpretations by Sabine Kaemmel. Projects Verlag Cornelius, Halle / Saale 2009, an art (full) book, 147 pages, ISBN 978-3-86634-690-1 .
  30. ^ Website noble terrorists [18]
  31. ^ Website Sociology with Kafka [19]
  32. ↑ Fanpage Philipp Sonntag [20]
  33. ^ Time machine navigator Phila: Planet milling machine . In: “Sperling” magazine, issue 1, edited by Robert Zobel, subject of the first issue: “Planets”, Engelsdorfer Verlag 2005, pp. 175–184.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sunday, Philipp
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German scientist and author
DATE OF BIRTH December 28, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Halle (Saale)