Honest Insights on the Initial Phase of Our Newspaper Provided by Becker, Son of the Founder of Our Website
In the tumultuous post-World War II era, Thuringia, like the rest of East Germany, was under Soviet occupation. Among the significant changes that marked this period was the establishment of a communist government and a planned economy. Amidst this turmoil, Hermann Becker, a pivotal figure in Thuringia's history, founded the Thuringian Newspaper in September 1945.
Becker, who was active with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Thuringia and with the Thuringian Newspaper for three years before his arrest in 1948, played a central role in the early years of the newspaper. His business manager in Erfurt, Blank, was also instrumental in its inception. Becker's wife, Charlotte, was employed in the Erfurt business office of the Thuringian Newspaper following her husband's arrest.
However, the life of Hermann Becker was not without hardship. He spent the first two years of his imprisonment in Hohenschönhausen, where he was severely tortured. After his release in 1955, Becker lived through the post-war period, remembering the nights in air-raid shelters.
His son, Lutz Becker, was born in 1941 and moved from Erfurt to Berlin after his father's release. However, he found both East and West Berlin unappealing for his artistic pursuits. In 1965, Lutz moved to London on a scholarship and has been living and working there ever since. He is now a renowned painter, filmmaker, and curator.
Lutz Becker's artistic aspirations were initially thwarted in Berlin due to a lack of opportunities. He became aware of his father's popularity at a speech on the Erfurt Cathedral Square in 1946. It was not until after his father's death that Lutz learned about the extent of his father's torture.
The Thuringian Newspaper, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, was designed by Lutz Becker's uncle, Walter Wenger, who created the first newspaper header in 1945. Despite the challenges faced by Hermann Becker, his contribution to Thuringia's media landscape during the post-war period remains significant. However, further research is needed to fully understand his political background and impact during this critical period in Thuringia's history.
- In London, Lutz Becker, now a renowned painter, filmmaker, and curator, found his personal growth and career development thriving, a stark contrast to the limitations he experienced in East and West Berlin.
- The Thuringian Newspaper, a testament to Hermann Becker's resilience in the face of adversity, continues to influence home-and-garden, lifestyle, education-and-self-development, and career-development discussions in Thuringia's contemporary society.
- The establishment of the Thuringian Newspaper by Hermann Becker in 1945, marked by Walter Wenger's innovative design, signified a significant milestone in the landscape of education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and learning experiences in post-World War II Thuringia.
