Nobel Peace Prize 1935/6 - Carl von Ossietzky

[Louis VI the Fat]

Doesn't mean anything. Especially if you consider the ones who were 'loyal' to the country. They would also rule that Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was a traitor to his country as well, along with Oskar Schindler, Julius Leber and various other big names.

I enjoy my little bouts with PJ about the history of this period, even if his ideas differ from mine.

Nor is the case for Ossietzky completely closed. The fact remains that to the German court - of modern, democratic Germany - the man is still a traitor! A travesty, as far as I'm concerned. To no small degree owing to a historical idea about Weimar as a somewhat clumsy, failed, doomed but peaceful Germany. I think that underestimates the incessant agitation of national-conservatives in many sectors of Germany before 1933. Very much so the German judges of this period, who showed as poor judgement before Hitler as they did in the period 1933-1945. which was one long and sad legal travesty.



You do marvelously bring the focus to the essence of this thread, short of the historical details which are perhaps of little interest to most. Namely, what makes a hero, and what a traitor?

Is Liu a traitor, like the Chinese claim? Assange? Sacharov? Mandela? Three of which have won the Nobel Prize, and the fourth, like the other three, a contender for both imprisonment and the Peace Prize itself.


Edit: Also, there is a remarkable similarity in the Prize and the reaction to it by Nazi Germany and Communist China. A shared vehemence, complete with foreign threats, blackmail of third countries, and lots of show and bogus other prizes. By comparison to these two, the reaction of the Soviet Unio to Sacharov's Prize seemed very mellow. The response of the Burma regime to the Prize for what's-her-name-again, that I don't really know, the country is a complete mystery to me.