Walter Becher

Walter Becher (1 October 1912 – 25 August 2005)

He was an associate of the pro-Nazi politician Konrad Henlein.^[2] Later, he became a writer for the Nazi newspaper "Die Zeit" published in Sudetenland.^[3]

Early life

Becher was born on 1 October 1912 in Karlsbad, Bohemia, Austro-Hungarian Empire. He came from a Karlsbad manufacturing family, which was established there by 1530. The family's most popular product was the "Karlsbader Becherbitter" (English: Karlsbad Bitters), which today is sold under the name "Becherovka" produced by Jan Becher.

After leaving school Becher studied political science and then worked as a journalist. While a student, he joined the "Deutsche Gildenschaft" student association. In 1938, he became the arts, science, and entertainment editor for the newspaper "Die Zeit" (English: The Time). Die Zeit was controlled by the Sudetenland NSDAP, precursor to the Nazi Party.

Starting in 1940 he fought as a soldier in the

After his release from prison Becher was displaced from his home of Bohemia to Bavaria where he became active in a movement of exiled Bohemian Germans. In 1947, he participated in the founding of the "Gründung des Sudetendeutschen Rates" English: Sudeten German Council). Between 1956 and 1958 he became the Chairman of the Witikobund, an association of Sudeten Germans.

Becher initiated the "Komitee zum Schutz der Bürger gegen Diffamierung durch die Linkspresse" a group committed to protect citizens against defamation by left-wing press in 1959. He also was vice chairman, until 1968, and then until 1982, chairman, of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft (English: Sudeten German Homeland Association).

Becher was awarded, in 1962, the Bavarian Order of Merit. In 1983, he was awarded the European Charlemagne Prize of the Sudeten German Association for outstanding services to self-determination and international understanding.

In 1969, East German film makers Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann shot a documentary about him called "Der Präsident im Exil" (German: The president in exile).

His son Peter Becher is chairman of the Adalbert Stifter -Vereins.

Political parties

Becher was initially a member of the national "Kameradschaftsbund, Bund für gesamtgesellschaftliche Bildung" (English: Federation for societal education) which followed the teachings of Othmar Spann. In 1931, he became a member of the Sudeten German Party (SdP) of Konrad Henlein. After annexation of Sudetenland by Germany he was accepted into the Nazi Party.

After the Second World War he took part in the founding of the Deutsche Gemeinschaft party (DG). Shortly before the parliamentary elections in 1954 he switched parties to the BHE. In 1959 he tried, with the National Democratic Union (NDU), to establish a collective conservative movement but only the BHE, the Witikobund and some smaller organizations participated.

With the merger of the BHE with the German party in 1961 he became a member of the

Bundestag

In the state elections of 1950 Becher with the

Because of the coalitions of the GDP for the general election in 1965 with the CDU, CSU and SPD Becher was on the CSU list in the German Bundestag, where he served until 1980. In the Bundestag he was a strict opponent of the Social-Liberal coalition.

Literature

• Richard Stöss: Deutsche Gemeinschaft, Fußnote 21, in: derselbe Parteienhandbuch, Westdeutscher Verlag, Dormagen 1986, Seite 887.
• Mandat und Dynamit in Der Spiegel 44/1964 vom 28. Oktober 1964.

See also

• List of Bavarian Christian Social Union politicians

References