Carl von Ossietzky

["Journalist", "Anti-Nazi Pacifist", "Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1935"]

Born Oct 03, 1889

Hamburg, Germany

Passed Away May 04, 1938 Berlin, Germany

Lifespan 48 years old

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"A man cannot run away when his country is sliding into the abyss; he must stand and speak the truth, even if it costs his life."

Archival Overview

German investigative journalist and fearless anti-Nazi editor of 'Die Weltbuhne' who exposed Germany's secret illegal rearmament in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, awarded the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp.

Biographical Record

Carl von Ossietzky (1889–1938) was a decorated World War I veteran who returned from the trenches determined to fight German militarism. As editor-in-chief of the intellectual magazine 'Die Weltbuhne', he published Walter Kreiser's 1929 expose revealing that the Weimar Reichswehr was secretly training a clandestine air force in Soviet territory.

Convicted of treason and espionage in 1931, Ossietzky refused to flee Germany. Arrested by the Gestapo on the night of the Reichstag fire in 1933, he was subjected to brutal torture in Sonnenburg and Esterwegen concentration camps. Awarded the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize over furious Nazi protests, he died under police guard in Berlin.

Key Life Milestones

1929

Exposing Clandestine German Military Rearmament

Published the historic investigative report exposing secret rearmament in 'Die Weltbuhne'.

1935

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Concentration Camp

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while held in Esterwegen, sparking international anti-Nazi protests.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Friedhof Pankow IV
Berlin (Niederschonhausen), Germany

                         GPS: 52.5856, 13.4111                    

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