On 29 August 2012 Dr Hans-Jürgen Falkenhagen died of pneumonia in a hospital in Berlin.

For 40 years he was employed as a civil servant in the ministries of the GDR (German Democratic Republic), his last posting was in the Ministry of Finance, and in the state bank of the GDR as translator, documentalist and country editor of 12 foreign languages, including 9 Slavic languages.

From 1990-1995 he was a consultant for foreign finance and taxation of the Federal Ministry of Finance, with responsibility for the former socialist states.

Dr Falkenhagen was a founder member of our small, but very active peace group “Mothers against the war Berlin-Brandenburg“, which will miss him dearly as a brilliant analyst of domestic and worldwide events. His contributions and analyses in German and international newspapers and magazines such as Arbeitskreis für Friedenspolitik-Atomwaffenfreies Europa e.V. [Working group für peace politics - Nuclear Weapons Free Europe], Muslim-Markt, Schattenblick, Ikarus, the newspaper of the German Communist Party Die Rote Fahne [Red Flag], Tlaxcala, the Swiss newspaper Zeit-Fragen as well as our website of the peace campaigners (www.nato-tribunal.de/mgdk.htm) were highly valued.

With him we lost a steadfast and determined campaigner for peace and justice in the whole world.

He had the ability to give a voice to those states invaded and threatened by neo-colonialism and NATO’s wars.

We will always honour his memory.

The funeral service will take place on 20 September 2012 at 12 noon in the church Berlin-Schöneweide, Johannisthal, Sterndamm 90.

On behalf of. „Mütter gegen den Krieg Berlin-Brandenburg“ Brigitte Queck