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326:, who was in prison with him, wrote: "He lived the last days with admirable strength, which can only be explained by his deep Christian faith ... Franz Leuninger was a man who sacrificed his life for us and for his fatherland with great awareness and clear will." ("Mit bewundernswerter, nur aus seinem tief-christlichen Glauben erklärlichen Stärke hat er die letzten Tage gelebt ... Franz Leuninger war ein Mensch, der sein Leben ganz bewusst und klaren Willens für uns und für sein Vaterland geopfert hat.")
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661:...ein tiefgläubiger Katholik, verstand Christentum als solidarische Verpflichtung für seine Mitmenschen. Als Gewerkschafter kämpfte er hartnäckig und mutig für eine gerechtere soziale Ordnung, für die Verbesserung des Geschicks der von ihm vertretenen Bauarbeiter und ihrer Familien. ... Als Patriot und aufrechter Demokrat war er ein entschiedener Gegner des politischen Extremismus.
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237:; in his campaign, he was a strong opponent of the Nazi party. He warned urgently of the consequences of them taking over the government, foreseeing the damage to the trade unions in particular, and democracy, justice and freedom in general. He said in an election meeting in 1932 that all present would lose their homeland (
168:
to assassinate Hitler, he was arrested as one of the personalities planned for leading positions in a new beginning. Months later, he was sentenced to death and executed. He is remembered as a man who sacrificed his life consciously, based on his
Christian faith, to fight against an unjust regime. He
397:
Biographer GĂĽnter
Buchstab gave a brief portrait of Leuninger as a deeply religious Catholic, who understood Christianity as an entailing an obligation to show solidarity with his fellow men. According to Buchstab, as a trade unionist, Leuninger fought tenaciously and courageously for a more just
194:). After elementary school, despite his abilities, the family could not afford to enroll him in higher education. He took jobs in building farm roads in his hometown, then, not even 14 years old, helping one of his brothers in construction work in
241:) if Hitler came to power. Some were irritated by the combination of union manager and Zentrumspartei, but Leuninger clarified that his sense for justice would demand him to stay faithful to the interests of workers even against party interests.
33:
189:
region, the third of nine children of the farmer and smith
Weinand Leuninger and his wife Elisabeth. He was raised with a strong Christian background, laying the foundation for his belief in human rights such as dignity and freedom of conscience
149:' rise to power and regime. Working as a bricklayer after school, he became a member of the trade union for construction workers early on, serving as its regional leader in Silesia in the 1920s. He was a member of the city council of
284:. He wrote in a letter to his brother stating "There is nothing that justifies war, and all means are permitted to prevent a war. Back in Breslau, he agreed to be ready to take over the position of Ober-Präsident of Silesia in the
213:, a subdivision of Christian trade unions. He became its local secretary in Aachen in 1922. In 1924, he married Anna Paulina Meuser in Mengerskirchen. He rose to district secretary, and worked in the same function in
987:
398:
social order, for the improvement of the situation of the construction workers he represented and their families and as a patriot and upright democrat, he was a determined opponent of political extremism.
261:(German home), for which he had already worked voluntarily. In this position, he was able to offer jobs to people who criticized the regime. He came into contact with the resistance groups around
1127:
253:
came to power, free trade unions were banned, and
Leuninger was laid off. After being unemployed for a short time, he took over the management of a non-profit housing association
954:"Kirche zeigt Märtyrer des 20. Jahrhunderts / In der Kirche St. Suitbertus wird die Ausstellung "Märtyrer des Erzbistums Köln im 20. Jahrhundert" mit einem Hochamt eröffnet"
221:, where the couple moved into a first apartment together, and three sons were born, Franz, Walter and Herbert. From 1927, not even 30 years old, he led the trade union in
1142:
731:"20. Juli 1944: Franz Leuninger und der Widerstand gegen Hitler / Das Schicksal in die Hände des Herrgotts gelegt. / Ein entschiedener Gegner des Nationalssozialismus"
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in Berlin, at the age of 46. In a sermon in an ecumenical memorial service at the site on 20 July 1999, Karl Meyer said that
Leuninger walked to his execution singing
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303:
under the penal code of the time. He remained in custody for several months, while his wife escaped to the West, and their sons were drafted. He was tried by the
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in the democratic new beginning which the lotters hoped would follow a successful revolution. After the failure of the assassination attempt on Hitler
368:, commissioned by the German Bishops' Conference to produce the work, memorialized those who died for their Christian ideals as victims of violence (
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198:. He then worked as a bricklayer in the Siegerland region. In the winter season, when construction stopped, he assisted his father in smithing.
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During the First World War, he was drafted and served until the end of the war. He ended the war with the rank of
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853:"Christliche Märtyrer dem Vergessen entreißen / Zum 60. Jahrestag des Attentates auf Hitler am 20. April 1944"
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409:, where he was judicially murdered, was named Leuningerpfad after him in 1962, as was in 1984 a street in
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commemorating
Leuninger and two others related to Remscheid, Sister Francis van den Berg and the priest
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region. He joined a
Christian trade union for construction workers early on, the
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884:"RP-Serie Krefelder Märtyrer : Christlicher Gewerkschafter hingerichtet"
322:
Leuninger belonged to those killed when the end of the war was already near.
1035:
862:(in German) (255). Gemeinschaft Katholischer Soldaten: 11–17. Archived from
195:
790:""Das heilige Deutschland soll leben." / Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand"
1004:
719:(in German), vol. 14, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 375–376
1052:
410:
1069:
372:). Moll spoke in Remscheid on 23 October 2016, opening an exhibition at
342:
The
Catholic Church acknowledged Franz Leuninger as a witness of faith (
991:. 6th extended and restructured edition, Paderborn among others, 2015,
266:
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988:
Zeugen fĂĽr
Christus. Das deutsche Martyrologium des 20. Jahrhunderts
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In World War II, Leuninger was drafted to serve in the army in the
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137:(28 December 1898 – 1 March 1945) was a German
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district has been named after him. A street near Berlin's
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The primary school of his birthplace Mengerskirchen in the
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was introduced as a martyr of the 20th century by the
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916:"Execution of Alleged Conspirators in "July 20" Plot"
904:"Franz Leuninger / 28. Dezember 1898 - 01. März 1945"
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161:in 1933, as a strong opponent of the Nazi party.
173:, and a school and streets were named after him.
1128:People executed by hanging at Plötzensee Prison
688:, Verlag Hahnsche Buchhandlung, Hannover 1992,
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486:
686:Die StraĂźennamen der Landeshauptstadt Hannover
205:. Afterwards, he worked as bricklayer in the
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338:The Franz Leuninger School in Mengerskirchen
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348:''German Martyrology of the 20th Century''
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1026:Literature by and about Franz Leuninger
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346:) in a semi-official work entitled the
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587:Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand 2020
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1148:German Army personnel of World War I
1123:Executed members of the 20 July plot
882:Stirken, Norbert (18 January 2016).
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217:. He was then called to service in
192:MenschenwĂĽrde und Gewissensfreiheit
18:German trade unionist and resistant
1118:Centre Party (Germany) politicians
729:Laubach, Johannes (20 July 2004).
157:from 1930, and ran for the German
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908:Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand
120:Construction workers' trade union
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772:Franz Leuninger zum Gedenken (2)
851:Rauch, Andreas M. (July 2004).
211:Christlicher Bauarbeiterverband
1:
1043:Franz Leuninger Gedenken 2017
960:(in German). 20 October 2016.
948:(in German). 20 October 2018.
286:Beck/Goerdeler shadow cabinet
225:where he was responsible for
1113:People from Limburg-Weilburg
958:Remscheider General-Anzeiger
753:Franz Leuninger zum Gedenken
307:on 28 February 1945. He was
1138:German resistance to Nazism
611:Jewish Virtual Library 2020
1164:
1055:pfad-der-erinnerung.berlin
983:German Bishops' Conference
981:(edited on behalf of the
769:Leuninger, Alois (1970).
750:Leuninger, Alois (1970).
229:. He was a member of the
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920:jewishvirtuallibrary.org
794:stiftung-20-juli-1944.de
716:Neue Deutsche Biographie
709:GĂĽnter Buchstab (1985),
1053:Remembrance in the City
1030:German National Library
735:Nassauische Neue Presse
255:(Siedlungsgesellschaft)
231:Deutsche Zentrumspartei
788:Meyer (20 July 1999).
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181:Leuninger was born in
809:Moll, Helmut (2002).
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177:Early life and career
1038:Hessische Biografie.
869:on 16 September 2021
659:GĂĽnter Buchstab 1985
487:GĂĽnter Buchstab 1985
999:, vol. I, 425–429.
324:Hermann von LĂĽninck
84:Cause of death
945:Diocese of Limburg
932:berlin.kauperts.de
711:"Leuninger, Franz"
340:
309:sentenced to death
282:Invasion of Poland
98:Trade union leader
1133:Christian martyrs
997:978-3-506-78080-5
781:Herbert Leuninger
762:Herbert Leuninger
671:Helmut Zimmermann
407:Plötzensee Prison
313:Plötzensee Prison
166:20 July 1944 plot
141:, politician and
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623:Meyer 1999
506:Rauch 2004
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187:Westerwald
164:After the
101:Politician
46:1898-12-28
1032:catalogue
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894:29 August
873:29 August
842:ignored (
832:cite book
800:29 August
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454:Moll 2002
235:Reichstag
196:Remscheid
159:Reichstag
143:resistant
105:Resistant
87:Execution
417:suburb.
411:Hannover
330:Memorial
153:for the
1087:Germany
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1048:YouTube
1028:in the
860:Auftrag
267:Leipzig
257:called
227:Silesia
223:Breslau
219:Krefeld
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151:Breslau
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816:(PDF)
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251:Nazis
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896:2020
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