204:
458:
On 13 November 1940 Kreyssig was summoned by Gürtner, who laid before
Kreyssig Hitler's personal letter that had started the euthanasia program and which constituted the sole legal basis for it. Kreyssig replied, "The Führer's word does not create a right," clearly signifying that he did not
443:
What is right is what benefits the people. In the name of this frightful doctrine — as yet, uncontradicted by any guardian of rights in
Germany — entire sectors of communal living are excluded from rights, for example, all the concentration camps, and now, all hospitals and
33:
426:
After the number of death certificates of his wards began to accumulate on his desk, he began to suspect the deaths were connected to the "mercy killing" that had begun. He reported his suspicions in a letter to
Minister of Justice
459:
recognize this as a legal right. Gürtner then told
Kreyssig, "If you cannot recognise the will of the Führer as a source of law, then you cannot remain a judge." In December 1940, Kreyssig was suspended. Efforts by the
127:
612:, Kreyssig was cut off from the international activities of his organization. As a result, he gave up running the organization and devoted himself to building a version of the organization in the
685:. The Brandenburg Association of Jurists donated the plaque on 5 May 2008 to commemorate Kreyssig's Appeal to found the Action for Reconciliation on the 50th anniversary of its introduction.
662:
and in Lehnin, a senior care center that bear his name. The Lothar
Kreyssig Peace Prize has been awarded every two years since 1999 by the Lothar Kreyssig Foundation in Magdeburg.
332:
491:
Feeling that the rule of law in the Soviet occupation zone was insufficient, Kreyssig decided against resuming his career as a judge. Instead, he accepted an offer from Bishop
819:"Unrecht beim Namen genannt." Memorial for Lothar Kreyssig on 30 October 1998, published by the Brandenburg Oberlandesgericht, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden, (1998)
500:
926:
1228:
570:
276:
242:
163:
1218:
1193:
455:
for murder. He filed an injunction against the institutions in which he had housed his wards, prohibiting them from transferring the wards without his consent.
306:
281:
271:
512:
296:
256:
251:
1223:
301:
1178:
563:
290:
266:
174:
325:
261:
976:
689:
318:
466:
Kreyssig then devoted himself to organic farming and church work. He also hid two Jewish women on his property until the end of the war.
1203:
476:
218:
545:
1208:
834:
728:
523:
286:
1135:
877:
860:
843:
824:
811:
794:
777:
527:
415:
guardianship judge made him responsible for several hundred mentally challenged children and adults. He bought an estate in nearby
1039:
885:
Wolf Kahl, Lothar
Kreyssig - Amtsrichter im Widerstand und Prophet der Versöhnung, Deutsche Richterzeitung 2008, pp. 299–302
1088:
635:
To this day, Kreyssig is known as the only judge who tried to stop the systematic murders conducted under the Nazis' T4 program.
573:. Kreyssig called for the founding of this action in 1958, saying that young Germans should go to former enemy countries and to
551:
Kreyssig established church institutions and programs, such as the
Protestant Academy of the Church Province of Saxony, and a
923:
1173:
519:
515:
elected him its praeses, an office he held until 1970. In 1952, he briefly headed the church chancellery of that Church.
588:
Today, thousands of
Germans have volunteered in numerous countries through this organization. The first projects were in
1198:
162:, he was again offered a judgeship but declined. Later, he became an advocate of German reconciliation and founded the
1188:
703:
423:. A preliminary investigation prompted by Kreyssig's church activities was made against him, but no action was taken.
193:
170:
203:
613:
956:
1183:
1021:
745:
670:
643:
496:
436:
408:
120:
463:
to send him to a concentration camp failed. Two years later, in March 1942, Hitler forced
Kreyssig to retire.
511:
of the Synod of the church province, an office he held until 1964. In
December 1950 the general synod of the
481:
420:
155:
577:
to ask for forgiveness and show, by volunteering to do good deeds to atone for the bombing and crimes of
720:
Gerechtigkeit für David. Gottes Gericht und Gnade über dem Ahnen Jesu Christi. Nach dem 2. Buch Samuelis
145:
522:, the Protestant umbrella in Germany, and from 1949 to 1958, he was also eastern vice president of the
1168:
1163:
412:
735:
Action for Reconciliation Service for Peace, official website. Berlin 1958. Retrieved March 13, 2010
616:. One of the first projects of this initiative was to rebuild two destroyed churches in Magdeburg.
354:
1105:
1056:
431:, dated July 8, 1940. He pilloried the Nazis' Aktion T4 euthanasia program. He also addressed the
1213:
1026:
University of Missouri at Kansas City, Law Department, faculty projects. Retrieved March 15, 2010
762:
682:
432:
228:
870:
Lothar Kreyssig (1898 bis 1986), Richter und Christ im Widerstand in: Redaktion Kritische Justiz
392:
party, but refused, citing his need for judicial independence. However, in 1934, he joined the
1131:
873:
856:
839:
820:
807:
790:
773:
655:
624:
393:
75:
693:
540:
428:
159:
725:
699:
On 5 July 2008 a memorial was unveiled at Hohenferchesar, his residence from 1937 to 1972.
144:
era. He was the only German judge who attempted to stop the mass-murder of persons deemed "
1092:
1043:
983:
960:
930:
732:
485:
452:
362:
167:
137:
1036:
382:
1085:
1157:
987:
597:
582:
492:
223:
213:
57:
980:
578:
449:
79:
990:. Harvard Law School Library, Nuremberg Trials Project. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
678:
1144:
893:
Widerstand von Protestanten im NS und in der DDR, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte
665:
On the anniversary of his 100th birthday, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the
620:
609:
593:
350:
407:
He was still able to work in his profession and in 1937, he was transferred to
707:
233:
585:), to show signs of atonement, to work toward reconciliation, and for peace.
924:"Preparing the Ground for Constitutionalization through Reconciliation Work"
749:
673:. The former lower district court site, now the location of the Brandenburg
651:
647:
531:
504:
150:
853:
Umkehr in die Zukunft - Die Arbeit der Aktion Sühnezeichen/Friedensdienste
474:
After the end of National Socialism, Kreyssig came to be appreciated as a
1037:"Emissaries of Good Will — Young Germans Participate in a Unique Project"
639:
416:
361:. He set aside his education and enlisted in the army in 1916 during the
358:
53:
872:(Hg.): Streitbare Juristen. Nomos, Baden-Baden (1989) pp. 342–354,
766:
950:
552:
535:
508:
460:
397:
378:
370:
605:
601:
589:
574:
374:
366:
346:
32:
681:
and inside, a plaque with an inscription by Kreyssig's biographer,
559:, a communal action to combat hunger, which was a precursor of the
381:, receiving his doctorate in 1923. In 1926, he went to work at the
1124:
401:
133:
1122:
Konrad Weiß (2004). "Lothar Kreyssig". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.).
1112:
389:
141:
696:, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Kreyssig's death.
560:
1130:(in German). Vol. 23. Nordhausen: Bautz. cols. 872–884.
569:
His most significant work, however, was the founding of the
158:" program, an intervention that cost him his job. After the
804:
Verfolgung, Alltag, Widerstand - Brandenburg in der NS-Zeit
377:. After the war, between 1919 and 1922, he studied law in
1147:
Biography of Lothar Kreyssig. Retrieved February 3, 2013
806:, Verlag Volk & Welt Berlin (1993) pp. 383–410,
658:
each have a street named after him. In Flöha, there is a
789:, Aktion Sühnezeichen/Friedensdienste, Berlin, (1995)
787:
Lothar Kreyssig - Vom eigenen verantwortlichen Handeln
530:. Kreyssig's views were controversial. He espoused an
518:
Between 1949 and 1961, he was a council member of the
385:
in Chemnitz and two years later became a judge there.
1126:
Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL)
501:
Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony
102:
94:
86:
64:
39:
23:
1123:
692:held a memorial, sponsored by Minister of Justice
439:, making all his arguments on firm legal grounds.
106:Opposing the Nazis, postwar reconciliation efforts
702:Lothar and Johanna Kreyssig were recognised as
534:of Christians, but one that would also include
441:
677:(Attorney General), outside, has two memorial
365:. Two years of service in the war took him to
345:Lothar Ernst Paul Kreyssig was born in Flöha,
132:; 30 October 1898 – 6 July 1986) was a German
726:Appeal to found the Action for Reconciliation
326:
8:
1007:The Encyclopedia of the Third Persons Reich.
513:Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union
388:In 1933, Kreyssig was pressured to join the
895:, 14/2009 (30 March 2009) pp. 33 – 38
411:to the lower district court. His work as a
1108:Official website. Retrieved March 11, 2010
623:. He lived in a nursing home from 1977 in
333:
319:
189:
31:
20:
1001:
999:
946:
944:
942:
918:
916:
914:
912:
353:. After elementary school, he attended a
1061:The Righteous Among the Nations Database
619:In 1971, Kreyssig and his wife moved to
936:excerpt. (PDF) Retrieved March 15, 2010
908:
571:Action Reconciliation Service for Peace
241:
192:
164:Action Reconciliation Service for Peace
1229:Protestant Righteous Among the Nations
1046:"German Life" Retrieved March 15, 2010
1017:
1015:
557:Aktionsgemeinschaft für die Hungernden
526:. Spiritually, he was at home in the
448:Kreyssig then filed a charge against
119:
7:
1219:German Army personnel of World War I
1194:Protestants in the German Resistance
404:of the Confessing Church in Saxony.
1115:catalogue Retrieved March 11, 2010
838:, Scriptum Verlag Magdeburg (2002)
748:for its relationship to the Nazis'
1224:German Righteous Among the Nations
1097:Magdeburger Biographisches Lexikon
835:Magdeburger Biographisches Lexikon
772:Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen (1998)
524:Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag
14:
1179:People from the Kingdom of Saxony
1009:Fischer Taschenbuch (2005) p. 340
855:, Lamuv Verlag, Göttingen (1983)
528:Evangelische Michaelsbruderschaft
1145:Dr.-Lothar-Kreyssig-Schule Flöha
1095:at the University of Magdeburg,
581:and the Nazi regime (especially
202:
1057:"Kreyssig Lothar & Johanna"
608:. With the construction of the
349:, the son of a businessman and
538:. Kreyssig turned against the
1:
1099:. Retrieved February 3, 2013
669:(Superior Regional Court) in
520:Evangelical Church in Germany
484:after the war, as an alleged
1086:Biography of Lothar Kreyssig
967:) In German, by Konrad Weiß.
488:he lost part of his estate.
121:[ˈloː.taʁˈkʁaɪ̯.sɪç]
1106:Action for World Solidarity
704:Righteous Among the Nations
690:Federal Ministry of Justice
564:Action for World Solidarity
175:Action for World Solidarity
171:non-government organization
1245:
1204:20th-century German judges
614:German Democratic Republic
1209:German anti-war activists
977:Document signed by Hitler
965:Prophet of Reconciliation
675:Generalstaatsanwaltschaft
627:until his death in 1986.
396:and in 1935, was elected
30:
746:Brandenburg an der Havel
671:Brandenburg an der Havel
644:Brandenburg an der Havel
495:and in 1945, became the
437:Nazi concentration camps
409:Brandenburg an der Havel
1113:German National Library
1111:Lothar Kreyssig in the
1091:29 October 2013 at the
688:On 22 October 2006 the
546:the division of Germany
953:Prophet der Versöhnung
769:Prophet der Versöhnung
482:Soviet occupation zone
446:
156:involuntary euthanasia
802:Susanne Willems, in:
507:. In 1947, he became
419:, where he practiced
631:Legacy and memorials
548:into two countries.
1199:Jurists from Saxony
951:English summary of
413:mental health court
1189:Lutheran pacifists
1042:2008-08-20 at the
959:2011-07-18 at the
934:German Law Journal
929:2011-06-21 at the
752:euthanasia program
731:2009-12-25 at the
480:. However, in the
477:Widerstandskämpfer
433:disenfranchisement
421:biodynamic farming
229:Seven Laws of Noah
146:unworthy of living
1174:People from Flöha
851:Karl-Klaus Rabe,
785:Susanne Willems,
767:Lothar Kreyssig.
667:Oberlandesgericht
656:Bergisch Gladbach
625:Bergisch Gladbach
555:. He founded the
499:president of the
394:Confessing Church
343:
342:
196:Among the Nations
110:
109:
76:Bergisch Gladbach
1236:
1184:German Lutherans
1150:
1141:
1129:
1118:
1102:
1073:
1072:
1070:
1068:
1053:
1047:
1033:
1027:
1019:
1010:
1003:
994:
993:
974:
968:
948:
937:
920:
898:
888:
882:
865:
848:
829:
816:
799:
782:
694:Brigitte Zypries
541:Wiederbewaffnung
435:of prisoners in
335:
328:
321:
219:Rescuers of Jews
206:
190:
160:Second World War
131:
130:
129:
123:
118:
71:
49:
47:
35:
21:
1244:
1243:
1239:
1238:
1237:
1235:
1234:
1233:
1154:
1153:
1148:
1138:
1121:
1116:
1100:
1093:Wayback Machine
1082:
1077:
1076:
1066:
1064:
1055:
1054:
1050:
1044:Wayback Machine
1034:
1030:
1020:
1013:
1004:
997:
991:
984:Philipp Bouhler
975:
971:
961:Wayback Machine
949:
940:
931:Wayback Machine
922:Anton Legerer.
921:
910:
905:
896:
886:
880:
868:Helmut Kramer,
863:
846:
832:Martin Kramer,
827:
814:
797:
780:
759:
742:
733:Wayback Machine
716:
633:
486:Prussian Junker
472:
453:Philipp Bouhler
363:First World War
339:
195:
188:
183:
168:development aid
166:and the German
126:
125:
124:
116:
113:Lothar Kreyssig
82:
73:
69:
60:
51:
50:30 October 1898
45:
43:
26:
25:Lothar Kreyssig
17:
12:
11:
5:
1242:
1240:
1232:
1231:
1226:
1221:
1216:
1211:
1206:
1201:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1156:
1155:
1152:
1151:
1142:
1136:
1119:
1109:
1103:
1081:
1080:External links
1078:
1075:
1074:
1048:
1028:
1011:
995:
988:mercy killings
969:
938:
907:
906:
904:
901:
900:
899:
891:Anke Silomon,
889:
883:
866:
849:
830:
817:
800:
783:
758:
755:
754:
753:
741:
738:
737:
736:
723:
715:
712:
638:The cities of
632:
629:
471:
468:
383:district court
351:grain merchant
341:
340:
338:
337:
330:
323:
315:
312:
311:
310:
309:
304:
299:
294:
284:
279:
274:
269:
264:
259:
254:
246:
245:
239:
238:
237:
236:
231:
226:
221:
216:
208:
207:
199:
198:
187:
184:
182:
179:
108:
107:
104:
103:Known for
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
84:
83:
74:
72:(aged 87)
66:
62:
61:
52:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1241:
1230:
1227:
1225:
1222:
1220:
1217:
1215:
1212:
1210:
1207:
1205:
1202:
1200:
1197:
1195:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1161:
1159:
1146:
1143:
1139:
1137:3-88309-155-3
1133:
1128:
1127:
1120:
1114:
1110:
1107:
1104:
1098:
1094:
1090:
1087:
1084:
1083:
1079:
1062:
1058:
1052:
1049:
1045:
1041:
1038:
1035:Ruth Rovner.
1032:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1018:
1016:
1012:
1008:
1002:
1000:
996:
989:
986:to begin the
985:
982:
978:
973:
970:
966:
962:
958:
955:
954:
947:
945:
943:
939:
935:
932:
928:
925:
919:
917:
915:
913:
909:
902:
894:
890:
884:
879:
878:3-7890-1580-6
875:
871:
867:
862:
861:3-921521-90-4
858:
854:
850:
845:
844:3-933046-49-1
841:
837:
836:
831:
826:
825:3-7890-5878-5
822:
818:
813:
812:3-353-00991-4
809:
805:
801:
796:
795:3-89246-032-9
792:
788:
784:
779:
778:3-88350-659-1
775:
771:
770:
764:
761:
760:
756:
751:
747:
744:
743:
739:
734:
730:
727:
724:
721:
718:
717:
713:
711:
709:
705:
700:
697:
695:
691:
686:
684:
680:
676:
672:
668:
663:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
636:
630:
628:
626:
622:
617:
615:
611:
607:
603:
599:
598:Great Britain
595:
591:
586:
584:
583:the Holocaust
580:
576:
572:
567:
565:
562:
558:
554:
549:
547:
544:and rejected
543:
542:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
516:
514:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
493:Otto Dibelius
489:
487:
483:
479:
478:
469:
467:
464:
462:
456:
454:
451:
445:
440:
438:
434:
430:
429:Franz Gürtner
424:
422:
418:
414:
410:
405:
403:
399:
395:
391:
386:
384:
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
336:
331:
329:
324:
322:
317:
316:
314:
313:
308:
305:
303:
300:
298:
295:
292:
288:
285:
283:
280:
278:
275:
273:
270:
268:
265:
263:
260:
258:
255:
253:
250:
249:
248:
247:
244:
240:
235:
232:
230:
227:
225:
224:Righteousness
222:
220:
217:
215:
214:The Holocaust
212:
211:
210:
209:
205:
201:
200:
197:
191:
185:
180:
178:
176:
172:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
152:
147:
143:
139:
135:
128:
122:
114:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
67:
63:
59:
58:German Empire
55:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
1125:
1096:
1065:. Retrieved
1063:. Yad Vashem
1060:
1051:
1031:
1023:Law's Heroes
1022:
1006:
1005:Ernst Klee.
981:Reichsleiter
979:authorizing
972:
964:
952:
933:
892:
869:
852:
833:
803:
786:
768:
719:
714:Publications
701:
698:
687:
674:
666:
664:
660:Förderschule
659:
637:
634:
618:
587:
579:World War II
568:
556:
550:
539:
517:
497:consistorial
490:
475:
473:
465:
457:
450:Reichsleiter
447:
444:sanatoriums.
442:
425:
406:
387:
344:
149:
148:" under the
112:
111:
80:West Germany
70:(1986-07-06)
18:
16:German judge
1169:1986 deaths
1164:1898 births
1149:(in German)
1117:(in German)
1101:(in German)
992:(in German)
897:(in German)
887:(in German)
881:(in German)
864:(in German)
847:(in German)
828:(in German)
815:(in German)
798:(in German)
781:(in German)
763:Konrad Weiß
683:Konrad Weiß
621:West Berlin
610:Berlin Wall
594:Netherlands
186:Early years
136:during the
87:Nationality
68:6 July 1986
1158:Categories
1067:29 October
903:References
708:Yad Vashem
470:After 1945
277:Lithuanian
243:By country
234:Yad Vashem
95:Occupation
46:1898-10-30
1214:Aktion T4
750:Action T4
710:in 2016.
652:Karlsruhe
648:Magdeburg
532:ecumenism
505:Magdeburg
355:gymnasium
307:Ukrainian
282:Norwegian
272:Hungarian
194:Righteous
181:Biography
151:Aktion T4
1089:Archived
1040:Archived
957:Archived
927:Archived
740:See also
729:Archived
417:Havelsee
359:Chemnitz
297:Romanian
257:Croatian
252:Austrian
757:Sources
553:hotline
536:Judaism
509:Praeses
461:Gestapo
400:at the
398:Praeses
379:Leipzig
371:Baltics
302:Serbian
117:German:
1134:
876:
859:
842:
823:
810:
793:
776:
722:, 1949
679:stelae
606:Greece
602:France
592:, the
590:Norway
575:Israel
375:Serbia
369:, the
367:France
347:Saxony
287:Polish
267:German
138:Weimar
90:German
640:Flöha
402:synod
262:Czech
134:judge
98:Judge
54:Flöha
1132:ISBN
1069:2019
874:ISBN
857:ISBN
840:ISBN
821:ISBN
808:ISBN
791:ISBN
774:ISBN
654:and
604:and
390:Nazi
373:and
291:list
142:Nazi
140:and
65:Died
40:Born
706:by
561:NGO
503:in
357:in
1160::
1059:.
1014:^
998:^
941:^
911:^
765:,
650:,
646:,
642:,
600:,
596:,
566:.
177:.
173:,
78:,
56:,
1140:.
1071:.
963:(
334:e
327:t
320:v
293:)
289:(
154:"
115:(
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
