Roland Weisselberg: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 22:08, 28 July 2007

Template:Foreignchar Roland Weißelberg (born July 4 1933 in Königsberg October 31, 2006 in Erfurt) was a retired Lutheran Vicar who received public attention by his self-immolation in a German monastery.

A critic of the rulers of the German Democratic Republic, he retired in 1989 because of his state of health. After the German reunification he was worried about the weakness of Christianity in East Germany and about the Islam, whose rise was, as he believed, furthered by the "ambiguity of the church". Shortly before his death he sent a letter to a newspaper, in which he advocated the dropping of the performances of the opera Idomeneo at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, claiming that its featuring of the severed heads of Jesus and Muhammad is a vilification of Christianity and Islam.

On Tuesday, October 31st, Roland Weißelberg poured petrol over himself and set fire to himself in the Erfurt monastery (where Martin Luther took his monastic vows in 1505), shouting repeatedly "Jesus" and "Oscar" (referring to Oskar Brüsewitz). Despite robust efforts by many on the scene who rushed to extinguish the flames, Mr. Weißelberg later died of his injuries. He left a farewell letter to his wife, which she refused to release to the public.

External links

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 '''Roland Weißelberg''' (born [[July 4]] [[1933]] in [[Kaliningrad|Königsberg]] [[October 31]], [[2006]] in [[Erfurt]]) was a retired [[Lutheran]] [[Vicar]] who received public attention by his [[self-immolation]] in a [[Germany|German]] [[monastery]].
-A critic of the rulers of the [[German Democratic Republic]], he retired in 1989 because of his state of health. After the [[German reunification]] he was worried about the weakness of [[Christianity]] in [[New Länder|East Germany]] and about the [[Islam]], whose rise was, as he believed, furthered by the "ambiguity of the church". Shortly before his death he send a letter to a newspaper, in which he advocated the dropping of the performances of the opera [[Idomeneo]] at the [[Deutsche Oper Berlin]], claiming that its featuring of the severed heads of [[Jesus]] and [[Muhammad]] is a vilification of Christianity and Islam.
+A critic of the rulers of the [[German Democratic Republic]], he retired in 1989 because of his state of health. After the [[German reunification]] he was worried about the weakness of [[Christianity]] in [[New Länder|East Germany]] and about the [[Islam]], whose rise was, as he believed, furthered by the "ambiguity of the church". Shortly before his death he sent a letter to a newspaper, in which he advocated the dropping of the performances of the opera [[Idomeneo]] at the [[Deutsche Oper Berlin]], claiming that its featuring of the severed heads of [[Jesus]] and [[Muhammad]] is a vilification of Christianity and Islam.
 On Tuesday, October 31st, Roland Weißelberg poured petrol over himself and set fire to himself in the [[Erfurt monastery]] (where [[Martin Luther]] took his monastic vows in 1505), shouting  repeatedly "Jesus" and "Oscar" (referring to [[Oskar Brüsewitz]]). Despite robust efforts by many on the scene who rushed to extinguish the flames, Mr. Weißelberg later died of his injuries. He left a farewell letter to his wife, which she refused to release to the public.