Excavation Project Commencement Marked from Ground Zero
In the political landscape of Brandenburg, Germany, in 2009, the appointment of Dr. Volkmar Schoeneburg as Minister of Justice sparked a significant controversy. Halina Wawzyniak from the Left party labelled the campaign against him a "dirty campaign."
The campaign was a complex tapestry of cold-blooded power calculations, ideological biases, political intrigue, ignorance, half-truths, and deceit. Scholars, politicians, and public figures found themselves entangled in this web of controversy.
Before his election, Dr. Schoeneburg had presented himself to the CDU faction, submitting a list of publications, including an incriminated article, for their consideration. This article, along with his previous work as a Constitutional Court judge, became the focal point of the campaign against him.
The SPD, however, supported Dr. Schoeneburg's appointment, with Minister President Matthias Platzeck commissioning the then Minister of Finance Rainer Speer (SPD) to speak with him, swiftly dispelling any concerns.
Notably, Dr. Schoeneburg refused to withdraw his candidacy, despite pressure from influential comrades of his party and the SPD leadership. This decision led to unrest among the Social Democrats.
The Vice President of the Brandenburg Higher Regional Court tried to convince the SPD leadership of Dr. Schoeneburg's unsuitability, while Uwe Wesel, a legal historian, publicly supported him, characterizing his essay as "very intelligent."
The "border guards' trials," a controversial chapter in Brandenburg's history, were also a point of contention. As a legal scholar, Dr. Schoeneburg had been vocal in his criticism of these trials, a stance he maintained even after his appointment.
The campaign against Dr. Schoeneburg was not without its consequences. The state government was sworn in at the Brandenburg state parliament on November 6, 2009, with the CDU faction sitting down en masse in protest – a unique act in the state's history.
New elections to the state parliament were discussed as a possibility, but ultimately, Dr. Schoeneburg took over the ministry on November 9, 2009. His constitutional state article had been circulating in the house for three days prior.
Despite the controversy, Dr. Schoeneburg, born in 1958 and a lawyer and attorney, served as Minister of Justice from 2009 to 2013 in a red-red state government.
This period saw the organization of a scientific conference in June 2010 under the title "DDR: Unjust State - or what?" by the Brandenburg Ministry of Justice and the "Forum for Legal History." Renowned scholars such as Ingo Müller and Hubert Rottleuthner gave lectures at the conference, discussing the nature of the DDR and its legal system.
In conclusion, the appointment of Dr. Volkmar Schoeneburg as Minister of Justice in Brandenburg, Germany, in 2009 was a significant event marked by controversy and political intrigue. Despite the campaign against him, Dr. Schoeneburg's commitment to upholding the rule of law and his criticism of the "border guards' trials" as a legal scholar remained steadfast.
- The controversy surrounding Dr. Volkmar Schoeneburg's appointment as Minister of Justice in Brandenburg, Germany, in 2009, encompassed policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as it involved a complex web of power calculations, ideological biases, political intrigue, and half-truths.
- Scholars, politicians, and public figures found themselves caught in the crossfire of the campaign against Dr. Schoeneburg, with the focus of the controversy often centering on his stance on the "border guards' trials" and his previous work as a Constitutional Court judge, which were topics of considerable debate within the realm of crime-and-justice and policy-and-legislation.
