Fritz Teufel
After forming in 1971, political activist Fritz Teufel became one of the leaders of the Movement 2nd June. Originally taking part in Kommune 1, his comical take on revolutionary activity had him dubbed “fun guerilla” by the general public. In 1967, Teufel became a quasi-icon in West Germany after being arrested. Charged with treason and the attempted assassination of United States Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Teufel was eventually acquitted. His humorous image was constructed following his arrest, as he and his associates were brought into questioning with a flour-pudding-yogurt concoction that was to be used as a “bomb.” On June 2, 1967, Teufel was arrested again, this time falsely accused of throwing a rock at police and provoking the riot at which Benno Ohnesorg was killed. This time, he served six months in jail.
Although the Movement 2 June never developed a clear ideology or purpose for its existence, Teufel’s political activism was rooted in his hatred for his parents’ generation. Just like many students and activists of his age, Teufel was angered by the Nazi regime of the previous generation, and fought to eliminate that image from Germany. Much of the resentment was directed towards those individuals who had played a role in the Nazi republic, especially those who had never taken any responsibility for their actions.
Read more about this topic: Movement 2 June
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