Helmut Ziegner

Short Biography

Helmut Ziegner (* 20th August 1921 in Berlin ; † 5. July 2006 ) was a living in Berlin trained actor and RIAS WRITER. He set up a foundation for the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners, and vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.Helmut Ziegner with the known social worker Gertrud Staewen; 1971 in the JVA TegelLife In October 1948, the then 27-year-old actor and broadcaster Helmut Ziegner took as an employee of the RIAS to a theatrical performance of the occupants of Berlin cells prison Lehrterstraße part. It impressed him there less the performance, the more bleak appearing lives of prisoners. Therefore, he started in 1948 in the the ruined Berlin with clothes collections for prisoners. Berlin was then a city, attracted by the refugees, who fought with basic needs. No one then had the nerve to stand up for prisoners. Ziegner moved then personally with a handcart on which he had mounted the sign "clothes collection for convicts", on the Kurfürstendamm and campaigned for the good cause. He took prisoners from being released at the gates of prisons, cared for them, provided them with housing and jobs. This work was a foundation, which celebrated its 50th anniversary of 2007. It is funded mainly from grants and donations. FoundationSince a prison was his work of " social rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners, and vulnerable and disadvantaged young people". Since he has already participated in this field in the 1950s, he is considered the father of rehabilitation referred. It is named after the Universal Foundation Helmut Ziegner , a force acting in this direction Foundation and 2007 also named a vocational gGmbH. Helmut Ziegner were 1977 Beccaria Medal in Gold and in 1981 the Ernst Reuter plaque awarded.