How it all began: the personal account of a West German urban guerrilla - Bommi Baumann

Bommi Baumann

A memoir of Bommi Baumann, a member of the 2 June Movement, one of West Germany's urban guerrilla groups in the 1960s and 70s. First published in 1975, after he renounced violence and left the group in 1972. Libcom.org does not agree with all the politics of the author but reproduces this text for reference.

Submitted by Anonymous on July 20, 2014

We heartily recommend you buy this book:

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Entdinglichung

8 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on July 20, 2016

he passed away yesterday, he was suffering from Hepatitis C for a long time and had also become addicted to opiates again: http://www.taz.de/!5320956/ (in German)

Steven.

8 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on July 25, 2016

That's very sad to hear, but thanks for letting us know

Entdinglichung

8 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on July 26, 2016

a short, generally accurate biography of him up to his arrest in 1981 on Wikipedia, from the 80ies on, he always stayed a libertarian and non-dogmatic socialist, he admitted somewhere that his political thinking was more influenced by London, Kerouac and Ginsberg than by Marx or Bakunin (pirated editions of Bakunin's works were an important source of his group's finances and his personal income around 1970). Due to his health problems and drug consumption not able to work regularly, he lived for some time after 1990 from revenues he got from selling a restituted villa in East Germany which he had inherited from his grandmother and often dressed in public like a toff. He was up to his death regularly interviewed by the media on urban guerilla-related stuff, during the last 20 years, he increasingly stressed that he thought that secret services and "deep state"/gladio structures played a major, if not a leading role in the foundation process of the urban guerilla scene (e.g. via the agent provocateur Peter Urbach) in Germany

Steven.

8 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on July 26, 2016

As always, your encyclopaedic knowledge and comments are appreciated!

Entdinglichung

8 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on October 20, 2016

critical obituary by former 2nd June Movement member Klaus Viehmann, who accuses Baumann of being a grass: http://www.akweb.de/ak_s/ak620/12.htm (in German)

Entdinglichung

8 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on October 24, 2016

another former 2nd June member, Norbert "Knofo" Kröcher took his own life one month ago after being diagnosed with terminal cancer

http://blogs.taz.de/contextishalfthework/2016/09/29/requiem-for-knofo-a-k-a-norbert-kroecher/

Entdinglichung

6 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on July 9, 2018

best book about the 2nd June Movement: https://nadir.org/nadir/archiv/PolitischeStroemungen/Stadtguerilla+RAF/2_juni/ (only in German)