Walter Rieck (politician)

Memorial plaque in Berlin's Uhlandstrasse

Walter Rieck (born October 28, 1885 in Frankfurt am Main or Berlin ; † November 15, 1974 in Berlin) was a German politician and is honored as Righteous Among the Nations .

Life

Walter Rieck was a primary school teacher. He joined the SPD in 1918 ; In 1919 he became a member of the board of the Association of Social Democratic Teachers. He was also a member of the Association of Resolute School Reformers and the Association of Independent School Societies.

From 1923 to 1933 Walter Rieck was the rector of the 208th secular school in Gotenburger Strasse (today Wilhelm-Hauff-Schule) in Berlin-Wedding , and from 1925 or 1926 he was also an honorary city councilor for education, art and popular education. At times he was also a city councilor for the SPD. He was also chairman of the teachers at the secular schools in Berlin.

After the Law to Restore the Civil Service came into force, he was first given leave and later dismissed. He now earned his living, among other things, as a property manager and as the manager of a cinema.

Walter Rieck and his wife Jenny were friends with the Deutschkron family, who lived in the same house, from 1933, as well as Otto Ostrowski . When Martin Deutschkron emigrated to England in 1939, but his wife Ella and daughter Inge could no longer catch up, the couple Rieck and Ostrowski supported the two Jewish women. From 1943 Ella and Inge Deutschkron lived in hiding in changing quarters provided by the Rieck family. Walter Rieck was summoned several times by the Gestapo and accused of "favoring the Jews", but not convicted.

After the end of the war he became rector in Lankwitz ; In 1947 he was a member of the founding committee of the Deutsche Volksbühne, which was to be re-established. He became a board member of the Freie Volksbühne for the British sector and later, after Berlin was divided, a board member of the Freie Volksbühne Berlin .

Walter Rieck, who became district councilor for popular education in 1945 and district mayor in Berlin-Wilmersdorf in 1946 , has been honored as Righteous Among the Nations in Yad Vashem since 1971 because of his commitment to Ella and Inge Deutschkron . He resigned from his office as district mayor in 1950 or 1951. Apparently there had been differences with his party, with which he finally broke.

In 2007 , a Berlin memorial plaque was placed next to the entrance to the house at Uhlandstrasse 167/168, where the Rieck family had lived . The plaque was unveiled by District Mayor Monika Thiemen , State Secretary for Culture André Schmitz , Inge Deutschkron and Jenny and Walter Rieck's son Michael.

literature

Active Museum Association : Put in Front of the Door - Berlin City Councilors and Magistrate Members persecuted during National Socialism 1933–1945 , Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018931-9 , page 321.

Web links

Commons : Walter Rieck - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ Greetings from the Secretary of State for Culture André Schmitz 'on the unveiling of the memorial plaque for Jenny and Walter Rieck
↑ Active Museum Association : Put in Front of the Door - Berlin City Councilors and Magistrate Members persecuted under National Socialism 1933–1945 , Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018931-9 , page 321.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f H. G. Schultze-Berndt, Walter Rieck † , in: Mitteilungen des Verein für die Geschichte Berlins 1971-1974, Berlin 1975-1978, p. 9
↑ Active Museum Association : Put in Front of the Door - Berlin City Councilors and Magistrate Members persecuted under National Socialism 1933–1945 , Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018931-9 , page 321.
↑ The information from the sources fluctuates here; The year 1926 is mentioned in the greeting from the Secretary of State for Culture, which seems to be written in a rather fleeting manner.
↑ Here, too, the year information in the sources is different; While the year 1919 is mentioned in the greeting, the years 1925 and 1926 are given on the memorial plaques-in-berlin page.
↑ biography on www.zerstoerte-vielfalt-humanismus.de
↑ ^a ^b Text of the memorial plaque and short biography on www.gedenkenafeln-in-berlin.de

personal data
SURNAME	Rieck, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German politician and savior of two Jewish women
DATE OF BIRTH	October 28, 1885
PLACE OF BIRTH	Frankfurt am Main or Berlin
DATE OF DEATH	15th November 1974
Place of death	Berlin or Frankfurt am Main

[Grußwort-1] Greetings from the Secretary of State for Culture André Schmitz 'on the unveiling of the memorial plaque for Jenny and Walter Rieck

[2] Active Museum Association : Put in Front of the Door - Berlin City Councilors and Magistrate Members persecuted under National Socialism 1933–1945 , Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018931-9 , page 321.

[Nachruf-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f H. G. Schultze-Berndt, Walter Rieck † , in: Mitteilungen des Verein für die Geschichte Berlins 1971-1974, Berlin 1975-1978, p. 9

[4] Active Museum Association : Put in Front of the Door - Berlin City Councilors and Magistrate Members persecuted under National Socialism 1933–1945 , Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018931-9 , page 321.

[5] The information from the sources fluctuates here; The year 1926 is mentioned in the greeting from the Secretary of State for Culture, which seems to be written in a rather fleeting manner.

[6] Here, too, the year information in the sources is different; While the year 1919 is mentioned in the greeting, the years 1925 and 1926 are given on the memorial plaques-in-berlin page.

[7] raphy on www.zerstoerte-vielfalt-humanismus.de

[tafel-8] Text of the memorial plaque and short biography on www.gedenkenafeln-in-berlin.de