The vegetarian movement since 1945
New Starts, Personalities, Association Development
After 1945 the vegetarian movement was organized
anew; the associations were recreated. There were no existing
organizations or structures to revert to. In the post-war years,
the third generation of vegetarians (after Baltzer, Struve etc.
and the representatives of vegetarianism in the decades after
1890) were already striving for vegetarian ideas and associations.
Re-establishment after 1945
Important preparatory work for a new organizational alliance of
vegetarians was carried out by W.F. Adolf Briest (b.1895). In
1944, Briest was looking for a circle of persons interested in
re-establishment by placing advertisements in the magazine "The
Turning Point". He was already a strict vegetarian in 1930
and had successfully overcome a severe war affliction through
vegetarian nutrition heavily relying on raw food. In the years
between 1931-33, Briest, who was a qualified merchant, founded
the "Study Group of Raw Food Proponents (ROKOLA)", the
"Raw Food Promotion", which was a sample food place
with lecture center and shop, the cooperative "ROKOWA",
and the "Federation for Vegetable Food and Natural Lifestyle"
in Hamburg. His book, "The Nutrition of Thinking People"
was published in three editions. In 1933, Adolf Briest was forced
to cease his nutritional activities for political reasons.
In May 1946, vegetarians met for the first time
after the war in the horticultural settlement of Donnershag near
Sontra, Kassel, and initiated the establishment of the "Vegetariar-Union
Deutschland" (VUD). The so-called "Sontra Manifesto"
documents the establishment of the VUD, from which the present-day
Vegetarian Federation of Germany developed.
"As proposed by Adolf Briest of Süttorf
(District of Lüneburg), vegetarians from different areas
of Germany convened again for the first time in the horticultural
settlement of Sontra/Kassel, on 29 May 1946 . They unanimously
state their desire to now gather all German vegetarians and unite
them in the Vegetariar-Union Deutschland. This union is to revive
the connection with the International Vegetarian Union at once."
The VUD was registered one year later into the record
of associations in Lüneburg, and Adolf Briest became first
chairman. He was succeeded by Heinrich Frantzen (1948-50) and
later on by Dr. jur. Ernst Waag, who presided over the association
until Geo Hiller (1955) assumed this position.
At the same time, Helmut Th. K. Rall had created
the "Vegetarier-Union Ebhausen (VU)" in the French zone
for reasons due to occupational law. On 25 May 1948, it was recorded
in the Nagold register of associations. The planned fusion of
the two unions after the formation of the Federal Republic of
Germany was not successful; in the following years, the organizations
existed separately instead. Rall's organization, which later published
the Vegetarian Universe, largely dissolved in the mid 70's, with
the last issue of the magazine being published in December 1975.
In 1950 both the VUD and the VU were incorporated into the International
Vegetarian Union at the 12th Congress of the IVU.
Geo Hiller (1908-1985)
With Geo Hiller there began a new era in the history of vegetarian
associations. Hiller devoted much attention and time in particular
to the magazine and stressed its importance in spreading vegetarian
ideas.
"…The fact that the future will belong
to vegetarianism is not even doubted by those who are unable or
unwilling to make up their minds to make it happen. But we, for
whom it is important to literally make the future a thing of the
present, need a vegetarianism that fits in with our present time.
Therefore we shall strive to demand and promote in our magazine
that level which raises us to the future instead of allowing us
to regress into past or insignificant issues. The publication,
which is open to any efforts of our direction, consciously grooms
discussion and freedom of opinion, but rests on the condition
of the truth of what is essential and the observance of formal
requirements, shall come into being. … We are aware of the
responsibility we thereby take upon us." (Geo Hiller, 1st
Chairman of the VUD on the occasion of the reorganization of the
magazine, 1956).
Particularly older readers and members will be familiar
with the person of Geo Hiller. His declaration that "the
most consistent proponent of animal protection is a vegetarian"
characterizes his commitment to active animal rights and ethical
vegetarianism. Besides conducting affairs nationwide, Hiller was
also editor of the magazine "The Vegetarian" for many
years. His business establishment at Blumenstr. 3 in Hanover today
houses the office of the VBD. The "Hiller House" was
built in the year 1956, and the ground floor was set aside for
the establishment of a vegetarian restaurant which still exists
today.
"The Vegetarian" and the "Vegetarian Universe"
In 1947, the same year that the VUD was registered,
Adolf Briest had already begun the vegetarian magazine "The
Promoter: Literary series for a meaningful lifestyle", which
was published until 1950. It was followed by publications such
as "Reports of the VUD", "Be a Human Being",
and "New Man" that appeared in loose succession and
informed members about the various vegetarian topics, events,
and union announcements. "The Vegetarian" became the
official publication of the VUD on 1 January 1956.
A year later, the amalgamation of two vegetarian
magazines-Der Vegetarier (of the VUD) and the Vegetarier-Rundschau
(a joint project of the Sontra vegetarians) was to be a first,
symbolic step of cooperation. However, only six of these combined
issues appeared; as early as July 1957 the "Sontra Health
Messenger" was independently published once more. Its editor,
Oswald Kiehne, (b. 1900), had already begun a vegetarian newspaper
in 1948.
In addition to "The Vegetarian" and "Sontra
Health Messenger", there was the "Vegetarianer Universum".
Published and edited by Helmut Rall from 1949 to the mid 70's,
this "Magazine for Complete Life Reformation and Related
Efforts" appeared monthly in the format and get-up of a daily
newspaper. In December 1975 the last issue of the "Vegetarian
Universe" appeared in its 28th year. This vegetarian magazine
understood itself to be the "central publication of vegetarianism,
of a nutrition, healing art and national economy in harmony with
nature, for peace culture and true humanity." In addition,
it believed itself to be a "news source of related efforts
in regards to the reform of life, cure, and economy, the nature
cure movement, breathing and nudist culture, opposition to vaccinations,
the movement against alcohol and nicotine, fresh food efforts,
the animal protection and anti-vivisection movements, organic
agriculture, the reform trade and the reform goods article industry".
In particular, the reader journeys of the "Vegetarian Universe"
enjoyed great popularity. These "Apple Travels" were
group journeys featuring vegetarian food. For some of these package
tours for vegetarians, through coaches were rented and reserved
for participants. In organizing the "apple travels",
Rall, who owned a travel agency, connected his occupational possibilities
with private commitment for vegetarian ideas.
Helmut Rall died last year. The "Vegetarian Universe"
and any associated activities were stopped 1975 "until further
notice". With the death of Helmut Rall, any revival of the
"Vegetarian Universe" magazine should now be out of
the question.
Vegetarian Cooperation and the Rechburg Formula
In the 50's, some attempts at cooperation between
the different vegetarian organizations were made. The beginning
was made by the "German Vegetarians' Federation" (DVF)
which was created in the summer of 1951 on suggestion of the IVU,
the presidency was meant to change annually. However, the DVF
existed only one year.
In light of the Federal Republic of Germany's entrance
into NATO and the formation of the German Federal Armed Forces,
the institution "Council of the German Vegetarians' Movement,
Study Group of German Vegetarian Federations" was created
on 9 August 1956 and renamed "German Vegetarian Council"
in 1961. The first chairman was Karl Albrecht Höppl, who
had for years been engaged in the vegetarian movement.
It is an interesting fact, probably little known
to the younger readers, that in the year 1956 the newly founded
German Vegetarian Council had devised a "vegetarian's identification
card for conscientious objectors" that is depicted here.
This document of identification was issued on request
to vegetarians who refused military service for ethical reasons
and who wished to apply for alternative service.
One of the most important results of the German
Vegetarian Council's work is the development and passage of the
so-called Rehburg Formula, which was intended to anwer for the
first time the question, "what is vegetarianism?", in
as comprehensive and generally accepted a form as possible.
"Vegetarianism is the teaching that man,
for ethical and biological reasons, is meant to eat plants exclusively.
Its strongest motive is the conviction that where possible, no
animal should be killed or damaged for human existence."
The Rehburg Formula (RF) was passed by the German
Vegetarian Council at the conference in Bad Rehburg of 15-17 November,
1963.
The German Vegetarian Council consisted of members
from the most different of organizations. Thus in 1966, the DVR
had 27 members, 8 of whom were official representatives from life
reform federations: the Vegetarier-Union Deutschland, the Union
of Free Social Life Reformers, the Order of Nazoreans, the International
Women's Federation of the German Mazdaznan Movement, the German
Reform Youth, the Reform German Youth Organization, and the Vegetarian
Society of Stuttgart.
The DVR was to make an important contribution to
the cooperation of the individual groups and thus represented
the interests of the life reform movement and of vegetarianism.
It organized the annual "German Vegetarian Day", in
which, among others, the aforementioned organizations also participated.
The objectives of the DVR were:
- organization of the annual meeting
- consultation for conscientious objectors
- support of needy and lonely comrades
- old people's homes for vegetarians, a vegetarian food supply
in communal facilities
- publicity and press work
- contact with related groups and organizations
Professor Wilhelm Brockhaus was elected chairperson
of the DVR in 1963.
Professor Wilhelm Brockhaus
Brockhaus was one of the central personalities in
the post-war history of the vegetarian movement. Born in 1907,
he joined the "Bird-of-Passage" movement early on. He
also remained faithful to the life reform movement and to vegetarianism
throughout his studies of biology, chemistry, physics, geography
and philosophy. Despite having been trained for higher education,
he was employed at lower-level schools during the National Socialist
period for political reasons. After 1945 he worked in teachers'
education and applied himself to a university career (chair for
biology; later geography and its didactics).
One outstanding achievement was the standard work
on vegetarianism published by the Hirthhammer publishing house
in 1975, "Animal Rights in Civilization. Introduction to
Natural Science, Philosophy and Specific Questions of Vegetarianism".
With this book, the publisher and co-author picked up the thread
of a similarly comprehensive contribution in the vegetarian literature,
the "Philosophy of Vegetarianism" (Friedrich Jaskowski,
1912). We print an excerpt from "Animal Rights in Civilzation"
on page 122.
"…In a very much agitated and problematic
world, in which people cannot even reach agreement concerning
their own affairs, the few conscious vegetarians stand and demand
that not only their fellow man but also the fellow creatures -
the animals - have a right not to be exploited at will by humans
who are more advanced in matters of intelligence and technology…
In particular, vegetarianism demands that as little as possible
animal life be tormented and sacrificed for the benefit of humans.
It demands the abstention from products derived from animals who
have been tortured or killed for this purpose." (Professor
Wilhelm Brockhaus, from: Speech at the World Vegetarian Congress
in 1965).
Further Development
Surely the high points of vegetarian postwar history,
still remembered by some readers, were the world congresses of
1960 in Hamburg and Hanover, as well as that of 1982 in Neu-Ulm.
The world congress was held and organized under
the direction of Geo Hiller, who was elected deputy president
of the IVU during its board meeting in the framework of this event.
Thus one could read in 1960, in conclusion about
the 16th World Congress of Hanover and Hamburg:
"… In the future, vegetarians will
drop their reticent attitude and make themselves conspicuous to
the world through their congresses. In the future, the congresses
will serve primarily to encourage the position of vegetarians
in the respective host countries, and to show that the vegetarian
ideas and the vegetarian practice have a task in this world "(The
Vegetarian 12/1960, pg.10)
For over 25 years, the name "Vegetarianier-Union
Deutschland" remained unchanged. But on October 28, 1973,
at an extraordinary general meeting of the VUD, it was decided
that the name of the association be changed and that they unite
with the German Reform Youth. This change of name represented
an opening of the association; the idea of vegetarianism should
be spread and presented to a larger circle.
"The new name … was chosen because
it states the objective of our organization, and thus has an external
effect that is more positive and less isolating than the old name,
because it creates new possibilities of cooperation with other
organizations similar working along similar lines …"
(The Vegetarian 1/1974, pg.3.)
Prior to this reorganization, there had been a work
meeting on 20 May in which about 50 members had participated.
The new association name read: "The Federation for the Renewal
of Life, Union for Ethical Lifestyles, Vegetarianism, and Life
Reform".
The 26th Vegetarian World Congress of 1982 in Neu-Ulm
under the guiding theme of "for a humane world in peace"
had as many as 700 participants from 34 countries and found broad
public interest.
The first New Year's meeting of 1974/1975, still under the name
of "Bund für Lebenserneuerung e.V.", took place
at Ludwigstein Castle and thus resumed the tradition of New Year's
meetings of the German Reform Youth.
At the same time, Geo Hiller's 18 years as a chairman
of the VUD ended, as did his career as editor of the magazine.
An important epoch of vegetarian association history was over.
Successors in the executive committee were Professor
Klas Detering, Volker Neumann and Horst Philippi. The magazine
was continued by ProfessorWilhelm Brockhaus, Adolf Heidenreich,
Dr. Hilmar Burggrabe and Volker Fees. Only shortly after this,
Professor Brockhaus became chairman of the federation, with Rudolf
Meyer as the assistant chairman. In 1977, Brockhaus was replaced
by Professor Bodo Liebe who is today the first chairman of the
Vegetarian Movement for Assisting the Elderly.
In 1981, after the efforts of many years, the status
of non-profit was awarded to the association. Rudolf Meyer, who
had been assistant chairman since 1976, was elected to his current
position of Federal chairman in 1983. At the same time, Elizabeth
Schrank, Adolf Heidenreich, and Ulrich Schröter became the
new editors. Eleven years after the first renaming, the organization
considered renewing their name once more. The vegetarian element
was intended be a component of the name to thereby convey the
objective of the association to outsiders. The annual Presidential
Election Council of 1984 agreed to a change of the association
name; since the beginning of 1985 it has been known as the "Vegetarian
Federation of Germany, Federation for Life Renewal, Union for
Ethical Lifestyle and Life Reform".
Rudolf Meyer wrote in the 1/85 issue:
"We openly profess a vegetarian way of life
and accept all fellow citizens who are on their way to this healthy
lifestyle. We wish to explain very explicitly, however, in a manner
recognizable to everyone, that vegetarianism is for us not only
a question of healthy food, but a mental attitude, an ethical
behavior."
The Congress of 7-13 June 1992 in Leipzig connects
to the beginnings of the association's history, spanning 100 years
of the past while at the same time looking into the future. Perhaps
in 100 years-in the year 2092-a similar retrospective will be
attempted as in this booklet. We hope that the contents of such
a retrospective will have to do with a successful development
and spread of the vegetarian idea. Each one of us can contribute
both by participating in association activities and by our individual
commitment to them.
"…In a very much agitated and problematic
world, in which people cannot even reach agreement concerning
their own affairs, the few conscious vegetarians stand and demand
that not only their fellow man but also the fellow creatures -
the animals - have a right not to be exploited at will by humans
who are more advanced in matters of intelligence and technology…
In particular, vegetarianism demands that as little as possible
animal life be tormented and sacrificed for the benefit of humans.
It demands the abstention from products derived from animals who
have been tortured or killed for this purpose." (Professor
Wilhelm Brockhaus, from: Speech at the World Vegetarian Congress
in 1965).
Judith Baumgartner
