Hans Paasche (3 April 1881, in

Rostock Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, ...

– 21 May 1920, in Waldfrieden,

Neumark The Neumark (), also known as the New March ( pl, Nowa Marchia) or as East Brandenburg (), was a region of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and its successors located east of the Oder River in territory which became part of Poland in 1945. Call ...

) was a German politician and pacifist. He was the son of the Reichstag vice president Hermann Paasche and Lisi Paasche, and was married to Gabriele (Ellen) Witting. Hans (Johannes) Albert Ferdinand Paasche studied at the

Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium The Joachimsthal Gymnasium (German ''Joachimsthalsches'' or ''Joachimsthaler Gymnasium''), was a princely high school (German ''Fürstenschule'') for gifted boys, founded in 1607 in Joachimsthal, Brandenburg. In 1636, during the Thirty Years' War ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. He became a

sea cadet Sea cadets are members of a sea cadet corps, a formal uniformed youth organisation for young people with an interest in waterborne activities and or the national navy. The organisation may be sponsored in whole or in part by the navy or a naval s ...

in 1899. An Imperial Navy officer and combative pacifist, Hans Paasche was also a

big game hunter Big-game hunting is the hunting of large game animals for meat, commercially valuable by-products (such as horns/antlers, furs, tusks, bones, body fat/oil, or special organs and contents), trophy/taxidermy, or simply just for recreation ("s ...

and nature conservationist, explorer of Africa and life reformer, alcohol abstainer and

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

, author and revolutionary. His brief but active life was marked by attempts to change the Prussian '' Deutschland-über-alles'' military mindset. His first experience with war was at the German African military campaign in the German East Africa colonies, where he learned first hand the horror and futility of war. In 1905, Paasche became commander in chief in the Rufiji-region, now southern

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

. His command was decisive, but he also took pains to reach a swift pacification. Refugees and defeated Africans found medical help and shelter at his headquarters at Mtanza. He was decorated with the Order of the Crown with Swords, but was removed from command because of his independent peace negotiations. His experiences during the

uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

and his guilty feelings over his actions changed his life forever. After his return to Germany, in 1908 he married Ellen Witting, daughter of Richard Witting, director of the Nationalbank für Deutschland and former Lord Mayor of Posen (

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

). His honeymoon trip brought him back to Africa, where he undertook a major expedition with his wife Ellen, who became the first European woman to reach the source of the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...

and the first to ascend

Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...

, as well as the recently erupted volcano

Nyiragongo Mount Nyiragongo ( ) is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about north of the town of ...

. Paasche published his first book: ''Im Morgenlicht'' ("In the Morning Light"), which contained impressions of war and of hunting in Africa, but also valuable

ethnographical Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

materials. Paasche's fictional series of letters ''Lukanga Mukara'' offer a look at Germany through the eyes of an educated African and mock the decadence of the early pre-World War I Germany. His satirical parody of German lifestyles and attitudes gained immediate popularity. Hans Paasche became one of the most charismatic public figures of the German Empire, well known for openly advocating his provocative ideas. Still in uniform but not on active duty, he undertook an assault on the many wrongs that he saw in the German society and its military obsessions. This brought him many avid listeners and readers, especially among the young. It also brought him vilification, including that of his own father, and the dangerous attention of military prosecutors. A

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

prosecution was conducted against him by Abteilung IIIb, the

intelligence service An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives. Means of informatio ...

of the General Staff led by colonel Walter Nicolai. The trial ended in 1918 with a negotiated admission into a mental health institution. He was released at the end of 1918, and continued his work as a radical journalist. He served a brief term in the Berlin Workers' and Soldiers' Council and tried in vain to organize a national court. Eventually he was forced out by right-wing

social democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

. After the sudden death of his wife Ellen at twenty nine, he retreated to his estate at Waldfrieden to take care of his four young children, Jochen, Nils, Helga and Ivan. Nevertheless, he still took part in national and international campaigns for peace, understanding among nations, and a

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

. His estate Waldfrieden became a shelter for hunted leftist insurgents. His assassination was ultimately decreed by the

ultra-nationalist Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its sp ...

death squad

Organisation Consul Organisation Consul (O.C.) was an ultra-nationalist and anti-Semitic terrorist organization that operated in the Weimar Republic from 1920 to 1922. It was formed by members of the disbanded Freikorps group Marine Brigade Ehrhardt and was respons ...

. In 1920, at the age of 39, he was shot by a commando of sixty soldiers from District Command III while supposedly trying to escape. The soldiers had mounted the operation under an anonymous call with the pretense of finding a hidden weapons cache, which was never found. Few were prosecuted and none were convicted. In 1985, Helga Paasche removed the tombstone of her father from Waldfrieden to the archives of the

German Youth Movement The German Youth Movement (german: Die deutsche Jugendbewegung) is a collective term for a cultural and educational movement that started in 1896. It consists of numerous associations of young people that focus on outdoor activities. The movement ...

Ludwigstein Castle Ludwigstein Castle (german: Burg Ludwigstein) is a 15th-century castle overlooking the river Werra and surrounded by woodland. It stands southwest of the town of Witzenhausen in North Hesse. Founded in 1415 the castle's buildings today were built in ...

, where it is part of a permanent Hans-Paasche-exhibition. His life has been extensively documented by his daughter, Helga Paasche, the author Werner Lange and his grandson Dr. Gottfried Paasche (for many years a professor of

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

at Canada's

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

), among others. Hans Paasche's great-granddaughter, Sarah Paasche-Orlow, is a Conservative

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Bibliography

* ''Im Morgenlicht. Kriegs-, Jagd- und Reise-Erlebnisse in Ostafrika'' 1907 * ''Die Forschungsreise des Afrikaners Lukanga Mukara ins innerste Deutschland'' 1912/1913 * ''Fremdenlegionär Kirsch - Eine abenteuerliche Fahrt von Kamerun in die deutschen Schützengräben in den Kriegsjahren 1914/15'' 1914 * ''Hans Paasche: Militant Pacifist in Imperial Germany'', by Werner Lange, translated by David Koblick 2005 * MAGNUS SCHWANTJE: "Hans Paasche. Sein Leben und Wirken" (= ''Flugschriften des Bundes Neues Vaterland'', Nr. 26/27) Berlin 1921 * OTTO WANDERER (d.i. Otto Buchinger): Paasche-Buch Hamburg 1921 * FRANZISKUS HÄHNEL: Erinnerungen an Hans Paasche. In: ''Junge Menschen'', 3. Jg., Heft 11/12* Juni 1922 * HELMUT DONAT, WILFRIED KNAUER (Ê.): "„Auf der Flucht“ erschossen. Schriften und Beiträge von und über Hans Paasche" (= ''Schriftenreihe Das Andere Deutschland'', Nr. 1) Bremen/Zeven 1981 * REINHOLD LÜTGEMEIER-DAVIN: "Hans Paasche (1881–1920), Lebensreformer, Anti-Preuße, Revolutionär". In: ''Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung'' Bd. 13, Burg Ludwigstein 1981 * HELGA PAASCHE: "Ein Leben für unsere Zukunft. Hans Paasche zum 65. Todestag". In: ''Jahrbuch des Archivs der deutschen Jugendbewegung Bd. 15, Burg Ludwigstein'' 1984-85 * PETER MORRIS-KEITEL: ''Umwertung aller Werte. Hans Paasches'' * HORST NAUMANN: "Hans Paasche. Pazifist - Revolutionär - Kommunist". In: ''Die Novemberrevolution und die Gründung der KPD. Protokoll der wissenschaftlichen Konferenz …, Teil 1'' Berlin 1989 * HANS PAASCHE (E. HELMUT DONAT, HELGA PAASCHE): "Ändert Euren Sinn! Schriften eines Revolutionärs" (= ''Schriftenreihe Geschichte und Frieden'', Bd. 2) Bremen 1992 * KARL H. SOLBACH: "Hans Paasche - Offizier, Reformer, Revolutionär". In: CORNELIUS NEUTSCH, KARL H. SOLBACH (E.), ''Reise in die Kaiserzeit. Ein deutsches Kaleidoskop'' Leipzig 1994 * ALAN NOTHNAGLE: "Metanoia! Hans Paasche - ein lebensreformerischer Visionär". In: ''Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft'', 45. Jg., Nr. 9 Berlin 1997 * GOTTFRIED PAASCHE, JOAQUIN KUHN (E.): ''The Strange Story of the Shooting of Captain Hans Paasche. The Writings and Actions of a Peace Martyr'' Toronto 2001 * JERZY GIERGIELEWICZ: "Hans Paasche: fascynujaca postac Niemca, w Polsce prawie nie znana". In: ''Wedrowiec Zachodniopomorski'', 10. Jg., Nr. 2 Szczecin 2003 * HANS PAASCHE, P. WERNER LANGE: "Die Legende von der Vertreibung der Kaiserin oder Potsdamer Beiträge zum deutsch-polnischen Jahr". In: ''Schriftzüge. Brandenburgische Blätter für Kunst und Literatur'', 7. Jg., Nr.1 Potsdam 2005 * P. WERNER LANGE: "Die Toten im Maisfeld. Hans Paasches Erkenntnisse aus dem Maji-Maji-Krieg". In: FELICITAS BECKER, JIGAL BEEZ (E.), ''Der Maji-Maji-Krieg in Deutsch-Ostafrika, 1905-1907'' Berlin 2005 * P. WERNER LANGE: "„Und ich zweifelte, ob ich ein Krieger sei …” Der Kolonialoffizier und Pazifist Hans Paasche". In: ULRICH VAN DER HEYDEN, JOACHIM ZELLER (E.), ''Macht und Anteil an der Weltherrschaft. Berlin und der deutsche Kolonialismus'' Münster 2005 * P. WERNER LANGE: "Die Treppe zum Himmel. Zur Eröffnung einer Gedenkstätte für Hans Paasche in der Wojewodschaft Wielkopolska". In: ''Inter Finitimos. Jahrbuch zur deutsch-polnischen Beziehungsgeschichte 3'' Osnabrück 2006 *ANDREAS SCHMID
"Deutschland im Spiegel Ostafrikas. Hans Paasches Lukanga Mukara (1912/13)"
In:
Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften
', 14. Jg., Nr. 2, 2020, 49–66.

References

External links

* * *
Chronology of Hans Paasche’s Life (by Werner Lange)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paasche, Hans 1881 births 1920 deaths People from Rostock People from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin German politicians German Youth Movement Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I Organisation Consul victims Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium alumni