Arnold Friedrich (born October 12, 1947 in Töpen) is a German former municipal politician, public administrator and a contemporary witness to the Division of Germany and German reunification.[2] He served as mayor of the municipality of Töpen in the district of Hof in Bavaria, from 1979 to 2008 and is known for his role in the preservation and development of Mödlareuth, a village divided during the Cold War by the Inner German border. He is a co-founder of the German-German Museum Mödlareuth, and long-time chairman of the museum’s sponsoring association.
He attended primary school in Töpen and subsequently completed his secondary education in the nearby town of Hof. After leaving school with the Mittlere Reife (intermediate secondary school certificate), Friedrich completed a full apprenticeship as a heating and ventilation systems technician (Heizungs- und Lüftungsbauer), qualifying in a skilled trade before entering public service.
Career
From 1967 to 1975, Friedrich served with the GSA I/2 of the Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Protection)[2]. His duties included patrol service and border postings within the zone 30 kilometres (19 mi) deep along the 'three-states' border region (Czech Republic–Saxony–Bavaria), extending as far as Bad Steben, in the immediate vicinity of his home village.
After completing his service with the Federal Border Protection, Friedrich transferred to the Bavarian internal administrative service and became chief administrative officer of the municipality of Köditz in the district of Hof.
In 1978, he began his local political career as a member of the municipal council, and one year later, at the age of 31, he was elected mayor of the municipality of Töpen. Friedrich focused his primary efforts on village renewal (or village rejuvenation), the improvement of the local infrastructure, and attracting commercial enterprises (e.g. the Lidl and Dennree warehouse and distribution centers). During his term of office, a modernized sewage system was constructed in the villages of Töpen and Isaar. Together with the municipality of Feilitzsch, the reliable supply of drinking water was secured through the development of new high-yield wells and the connection to the Upper Franconia long-distance water supply system.
In 1992, Friedrich transferred to the Thuringian administrative service and became chief administrative officer of the town of Gefell. In 2002, he did not stand for re-election and, upon his retirement from office, was appointed honorary citizen and honorary former mayor (Altbürgermeister) of Töpen.
Role in Mödlareuth
The Bavarian part of the formerly divided village of Mödlareuth also belongs to the municipality of Töpen. As a symbol of German division, the so-called Little Berlin was a focal point of media and political attention. As host mayor, Friedrich personally welcomed many national and international figures[3].
US Vice President George Bush visits "Little Berlin" on Feb 5, 1983; to his left Arnold Friedrich the mayor, to his right Manfred Wörner, German Minister of Defence.
Friedrich was among the co-organisers of the candlelight demonstration in the western part of Mödlareuth on December 5, 1989, which aimed to promote the opening of the wall in Mödlareuth. Construction work began on December 7, and on December 9 an official pedestrian border crossing was established.
On June 17, 1990, Friedrich and his Thuringian counterpart oversaw the partial removal of the Mödlareuth wall during an event commemorating the former national holiday of the Federal Republic of Germany. This event, which was not coordinated with authorities or security forces, preceded efforts by Friedrich and filmmaker Arndt Schaffner to document the division of the village and to advocate for the partial preservation of the border installations.[5] Together, they began establishing the German-German Museum in autumn 1990, with Schaffner assuming directorship and Friedrich taking on the chairmanship of the sponsoring association. The museum officially opened in 1994.
As chief administrative officer of the town of Gefell — since 1998, the Thuringian part of Mödlareuth belongs to Gefell — he was responsible for Mödlareuth both as honorary mayor on the Bavarian side and as chief administrator on the Thuringian side.
Despite public subsidies, the sponsoring association was unable to finance the German-German Museum on a permanent basis. In January 2006, the museum’s funding was secured through the establishment of a inter-state special-purpose association, comprising the districts of Hof (Bavaria), Vogtland (Saxony), and Saale-Orla (Thuringia), as well as the municipalities of Töpen and Gefell.[6]
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Reportage: Heute im Osten – Leben hinter Stacheldraht (Today in the East – Life Behind Barbed Wire), broadcast May 2014. Report on "Little Berlin" featuring footage from Mödlareuth and an interview with Arnold Friedrich.
Pages 18–19 of the visitors’ log of Mödlareuth documenting the visit of U.S. Vice President Bush to Mödlareuth on February 5, 1983.
External links
(in German)Arnold Friedrich on www.zeitzeugenbuero.de. This platform was set up 2009 by the Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Eastern Germany.
^Arnold Friedrich, The luck of a 'western birth' by Arnold FriedrichThe luck of a 'western birth (Personal Memories of the Inner German Border, Its Opening, and the Creation of the German German Museum Mödlareuth)
^Hofer Anzeiger, Töpener Bürgermeister erhielt Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande, October 14/15, 1995
^Hofer Anzeiger, Verdienstmedaille für Kommunalpolitiker – Engagement gewürdigt, October 19, 1999
^Bayerischer Staatsminister für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Staatmedaillen für ehrenamtliche Verdienste, Az.: E 2/b-7500-1843, August 10, 2010
^Hofer Anzeiger, Ehrung für besonderen Einsatz, December 3, 2010
