Claus-Peter Reisch
Claus-Peter Reisch (born April 17, 1961 in Munich), is a trained automotive mechatronics engineer, and holds a recreational seafarer's license. He was for a period the skipper of the Lifeline[1] He became known for his work as a skipper of the Lifeline, a ship of Mission Lifeline, which picked up boat refugees from the Mediterranean and brought them to European ports.
Life
[edit]Reisch originates from Landsberg am Lech and ran an industrial agency for sanitary and heating products until 2008.[2] During a vacation in Greece in 2015, he first came into direct contact with the refugee crisis and decided to help rescue refugees from the Mediterranean.[3] On volunteering, he found himself appointed as skipper on board a rescue ship.[3] Reisch describes himself as a "basically [...] conservative Bavarian" and was a long-time voter for the CSU, which he had at times considered part of the "right-wing spectrum."[3]
Activism
[edit]Mission Lifeline
[edit]In April 2017, Reisch embarked on his first mission in the Mediterranean for the Regensburg-based organization Sea-Eye.[3][1] He subsequently transferred to work for the Mission Lifeline organisation.[4] After the Lifeline, commanded by Reisch, spent days in the Mediterranean in June 2018 with 230 refugees rescued from distress at sea, while Italy refused to allow the ship to dock, it was finally allowed to dock at a Maltese port.[5][6]
On June 28, 2018, Reisch was arrested after arriving at a Maltese port, and the ship was detained.[7] In the meantime, Reisch was charged in Malta. He remained free after posting a €10,000 bail, but was initially not allowed to leave the country. Reisch had to hand over his ID card to the court.[8]
The reason given for Reisch's arrest and the detention of the Lifeline was that the ship was not properly registered. Although the ship sails under the Dutch flag, the authorities in the Netherlands denied this.[7] Furthermore, Reisch ignored instructions from the Italian authorities to leave the rescue of the boat refugees to the Libyan coast guard.[9] On July 11, 2018, it was announced that Reisch would be allowed to temporarily leave Malta from July 16, but would have to be back on the Mediterranean island for the continuation of the court proceedings on July 30.[10]
If convicted, Reisch faced either a fine of 11,600 euros or one year in prison.[3] Reisch himself saw the detention of the ship as an attempt to draw a curtain on the drama that is happening in the Mediterranean.[11] An expert witness,[who?] however, confirmed the allegations against Reisch. He presented the court with a report stating that no documents required for the sea rescue were presented on board the ship. No documents were presented proving the ship's registration with the Dutch maritime authorities, which would mean that the "Lifeline" is considered stateless.[12] Jan Böhmermann launched a fundraising campaign for the Lifeline's crew, which, among other things, will cover legal and expert costs. The campaign raised nearly €200,000. A fundraising campaign launched by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf raised a further €150,000.[13]
On July 22, 2018, Reisch spoke at the #ausgehetzt demonstration against the shift to the right.[14] There, he called for the resumption of the rescue mission in the Mediterranean. In his speech, he also addressed Chancellor Angela Merkel, requesting that she convene a conference with Archbishop Reinhard Marx, the Protestant regional bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, and four non-governmental organizations to find a solution so that the sea rescuers could operate under the German flag.[15] The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, under Archbishop Marx, finally donated €50,000 to the Lifeline mission in October.[16]
In mid-December 2018, some five months after the trial began, Reisch was able to testify for the first time in court in Valletta and, in a one-and-a-half-hour hearing, confirmed that he could not identify any errors in the ship's registration. Reisch had previously traveled to the island nation of Malta to attend court proceedings to no avail. The trial continued on January 11, 2019.[17][4] In May, the court of first instance sentenced Reisch to pay a fine of €10,000 to local aid organizations for refugees and people in poverty.[18] Reisch appealed the verdict, arguing that he had properly registered the Lifeline.[19] Reisch was acquitted on appeal on January 7, 2020.[20]
At the end of August 2019, Reisch set off again on the German-flagged pleasure craft Mission Eleonore to the sea area off the Libyan coast. The aim was not to rescue migrants, but Reisch was obligated to help in emergencies, a spokesperson for Mission Lifeline said.[21] On August 26, he took on board around 100 people he had rescued from a sinking boat 31 nautical miles off the coast of Libya.[22]
In January 2020, Reisch distanced himself from Mission Lifeline and announced that he would no longer participate in missions. He rejected Mission Lifeline's "political agitation," stating that much of it was too "left-wing radical" for him.[23]
LandsAid
[edit]After visiting refugee camps in Izmir, Turkey, Reisch announced in December 2021 that he would work with the Kaufering-based aid organization LandsAid to help Syrian refugees in Turkey and combat the root causes of their flight.[24] Reisch founded the Back To School project, which aims to provide schooling for children of Syrian refugee families in Turkey.[25] In April 2022, Claus-Peter Reisch participated in a LandsAid aid project in Ukraine, which primarily brought food, medicine, diapers, and pet food to Ukraine.[26]
Awards
[edit]The Bavarian SPD parliamentary group in the Bavarian State Parliament decided on July 17, 2018, to award Reisch the Europe Prize. The reason given was that people like Reisch "keep the values our community stands for alive."[27] The prize was presented on July 27, 2018, in the Bavarian State Parliament by parliamentary group leader Markus Rinderspacher.[28]
On July 28, 2017, Reisch stated in a video interview that Landsberg's mayor, Mathias Neuner, had contacted him to discuss awarding Reisch the Landsberg Ring of Honor. Neuner stated that "awarding him the prize would divide the city council." City Councilor Stefan Meiser of the ÖDP described Neuner's actions as "outrageous behavior."[29]
In December 2018, Reisch was awarded the Human Rights Prize by the Austrian League for Human Rights.[30][31]
On April 7, 2019, Reisch together with the Mission Lifeline association received the Lew Kopelew Prize.[32][33]
Reisch received the 2020 Erich Kästner Prize, endowed with 10,000 euros. He donated the money to three Dresden organizations which help refugees in the Saxon capital.[34]
Bibliography
[edit]- Claus-Peter Reisch, Udo Lindenberg: Das Meer der Tränen (The Sea of Tears). Munich Publishing Group, 2019, ISBN 978-3-7453-0789-4[35]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Man kann die doch nicht ertrinken lassen" [You simply cannot let them drown.]. augsburger-allgemeine (in German). 19 April 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ Gaul, Simone (10 January 2020). "Claus-Peter Reisch: "Vieles ist mir zu linksradikal"" [Claus-Peter Reisch: "A lot of things seem too radical-left to me"]. Die Zeit (in German). Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "1 Jahr Haft für 234 Menschenleben: An diesem Mann soll ein Exempel statuiert werden" [One year in prison for 234 human lives: An example is to be made of this man.]. Watson (in German). Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- 1 2 Guyton, Patrick (26 December 2018). "Seenotretter-Claus-Peter-Reisch" [Sea rescuer Claus-Peter Reisch]. www.taz.de. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ Heidtmann, Jan (29 June 2018). "EU-Flüchtlingspolitik-Der Lebensretter aus Landsberg" [EU Refugee Policy – The Lifesaver from Landsberg]. Süddeutsche.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Italien: Rettungsschiff "Lifeline" darf in Malta anlegen" [Italy: Rescue ship "Lifeline" permitted to dock in Malta]. Der Spiegel (in German). 26 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- 1 2 "Flüchtlingsschiff in Malta eingelaufen: Polizei vernimmt "Lifeline"-Kapitän in Malta" [Refugee ship arrives in Malta: Police question "Lifeline" captain in Malta]. RP ONLINE (in German). 28 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "„Lifeline"-Kapitän vor Gericht: „Das ist widerlich"" ["Lifeline" captain in court: "It's disgusting."]. tagesschau.de (in German). Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "«Lifeline»-Kapitän gegen Kaution auf freiem Fuß" ["Lifeline" captain released on bail]. stern.de (in German). 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Malta: Deutscher "Lifeline"-Kapitän Reisch darf Malta verlassen" [Malta: German "Lifeline" captain Reisch allowed to leave Malta]. ZEIT ONLINE (in German). Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Seenotretter vor Gericht: "Lifeline"-Kapitän: Vorhang vors Drama" [Sea rescuers on trial: "Lifeline" captain – curtain falls on the drama]. www.zdf.de (in German). Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""Lifeline"-Prozess: Gutachter bekräftigt Vorwürfe gegen Kapitän" ["Lifeline" trial: Expert witness reaffirms allegations against captain]. FAZ.NET (in German). 30 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Kampagne von Böhmermann für "Lifeline" bringt 200.000 Euro" [Böhmermann's campaign for "Lifeline" raises 200,000 euros.]. www.morgenpost.de (in German). 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""#ausgehetzt": Der gemeinsame Nenner Zehntausender Demonstranten" ["#ausgehetzt" (#FedUpWithIncitement): The common denominator among tens of thousands of demonstrators]. BR24 (in German). 23 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "#ausgehetzt: Lifeline-Kapitän Reisch will unter deutscher Flagge fahren" [#ausgehetzt (#FedUpWithIncitement): *Lifeline* captain Reisch intends to sail under the German flag]. augsburger-allgemeine (in German). 22 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Kardinal Marx - Der Schein-Altruist" [Cardinal Marx – The Pseudo-Altruist]. www.cicero.de (in German). 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""Lifeline"-Kapitän sagte erstmals im Prozess in Valletta aus" [The *Lifeline* captain testified for the first time during the trial in Valletta.]. www.evangelisch.de. Archived from the original on 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ↑ "Claus-Peter Reisch: Lifeline-Kapitän zu 10.000 Euro Strafe verurteilt" [Claus-Peter Reisch: *Lifeline* captain fined 10,000 euros]. Der Spiegel (in German). 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 July 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""Lifeline"-Kapitän Claus-Peter Reisch geht gegen Strafzahlung vor" ["Lifeline" Captain Claus-Peter Reisch Challenges Fine]. Der Spiegel (in German). 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""Lifeline". Freispruch für deutschen Kapitän Claus-Peter Reisch" ["Lifeline": Acquittal for German captain Claus-Peter Reisch]. Der Spiegel (in German). 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ ""Lifeline"-Kapitän mit neuem Schiff wieder im Mittelmeer unterwegs - WELT" ["Lifeline" captain back in the Mediterranean with a new ship – WELT]. DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "In letzter Sekunde: Deutsches Schiff rettet 100 Migranten aus Mittelmeer" [At the last minute: German ship rescues 100 migrants from the Mediterranean]. FOCUS online (in German). Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ Gaul, Simone (10 January 2020). "Claus-Peter Reisch: "Vieles ist mir zu linksradikal"" [Claus-Peter Reisch: "A lot of things seem too radical-left to me"]. Die Zeit (in German). Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Seenotretter Reisch will fluechtlingen in der Tuerkei helfen" [Sea rescuer Reisch plans to help refugees in Turkey.]. www.br.de. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ↑ "Seenotrettung: Tutzing hilft im Mittelmeer" [Sea Rescue: Tutzing Helps in the Mediterranean]. Süddeutsche.de (in German). 21 November 2022. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Claus-Peter Reisch für LaindsAid im Einsatz" [Peter Reisch on a mission for Mission Lifeline]. www.merkur.de (in German). 22 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Preis für Kapitän Reisch" [Award for Captain Reisch]. Süddeutsche.de (in German). 17 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "SPD-Preis für «Lifeline»-Kapitän: «praktizierte Humanität» - WELT" [SPD award for "Lifeline" captain: "humanity in practice" – WELT]. DIE WELT (in German). Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Will der OB den Ehrenring für Lifeline-Kapitän Reisch verhindern?" [Does the mayor want to block the honorary ring for *Lifeline* captain Reisch?]. augsburger-allgemeine (in German). 30 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Menschenrechtspreis" [Human Rights Award]. Liga für Menschenrechte (in German). Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Lifeline - Menschenrechts-Preis für Kapitän des Rettungsschiffs" [*Lifeline* – Human rights award for rescue ship captain]. Deutschlandfunk (in German). Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Dresdner Seenotrettung Mission Lifeline bekommt Friedenspreis" [Dresden-based sea rescue organization Mission Lifeline receives peace prize]. www.dnn.de (in German). 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Lew-Kopelew-Preis für "Lifeline"-Kapitän Reisch" [Lev Kopelev Prize for *Lifeline* captain Reisch]. Süddeutsche.de (in German). 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Seenotretter Claus Peter Reisch in Dresden geehrt" [Sea rescuer Claus Peter Reisch honored in Dresden]. www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek" [German National Library catalogue]. portal.dnb.de (in German). Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2025.