Fritz Teufel

Who was Fritz Teufel?

Fritz Teufel was a prominent figure in the West German political left of the 1960s. One of the founders of Kommune 1, Teufel cultivated a theatrical, humorous public image--encapsulated in his idea of the "Spaßguerilla". In the 1970s he rejected this image and became involved with the violent Movement 2 June. He was jailed several times in the 1960s and 1970s.

Teufel was born on June 17, 1943, in Ingelheim and was raised in Ludwigsburg. He attended the Free University of Berlin, studying German literature and theater, which also allowed him to avoid conscription. In January 1967 Teufel, together with Dieter Kunzelmann and other radicals, founded Kommune 1 in West Berlin on Stuttgarter Platz, the nation's first politically motivated commune. Teufel was one of the instigators of what became known as the "Pudding Assassination", in which protesters planned to throw plastic bags filled with flour, pudding and yogurt at Vice President of the United States Hubert H. Humphrey, during an April 1967 state visit. 11 participants in the "plot" were arrested, but were quickly released, and Teufel was on his way to becoming a celebrity.

Following a demonstration on June 2, 1967 against the Shah of Iran that resulted in the death of protester Benno Ohnesorg, Teufel was arrested and charged with treason. It was not until December that he was released, after he and many students with him had begun a hunger strike. His sympathizers held demonstrations, chanting "Freedom for Fritz Teufel" and "Drive the devil out of Moabit!". Teufel was eventually acquitted of the charges, but spent six months in custody before his release.