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Peter Lorenz

1922 – 1987

German politician

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About Peter Lorenz

Lived 1922 – 1987 (aged 64). Peter Lorenz was a German politician, notary and lawyer.

Peter Lorenz (22 December 1922 – 6 December 1987) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

In 1975 Lorenz was a candidate for mayor of West Berlin. He was kidnapped by the 2 June Movement group three days before the elections on 27 February. The group demanded a release of several imprisoned left-wing militants, including 2 June Movement members Verena Becker and Gabriele Kröcher-Tiedemann as well as Horst Mahler, one of the founders of the Red Army Faction (RAF) and Munich Tupamaros member Rolf Heissler. Although Mahler refused to be exchanged, the other prisoners were set free.

After the militants had been flown out to Aden, South Yemen, Lorenz was set free on 4 March. He had won the plurality (43.9%) of votes while being absent, nevertheless Klaus Schütz, relying on a coalition of Social Democrats and Free Democrats, remained mayor.

One of the freed prisoners, Rolf Heissler, became a member of the group which abducted Hanns-Martin Schleyer in 1977 to exchange him for imprisoned RAF members. After the operation had failed, Schleyer was killed. Heissler was one of his two murderers.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin
Positions held
Berlin member of the Bundestag, Member of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin, President of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin, Substitute member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Awards
Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Ernst Reuter Medal

People in Peter Lorenz's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter Lorenz's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter Lorenz?

German politician (1922-1987)

When was Peter Lorenz born?

Peter Lorenz was born on 22 December 1922 in Berlin.

When did Peter Lorenz die?

Peter Lorenz died on 6 December 1987 in Berlin.

What was Peter Lorenz's occupation?

Peter Lorenz was a politician, notary and lawyer.

What nationality was Peter Lorenz?

Peter Lorenz was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter Lorenz

· Wikidata: Q63740

· DBpedia: Peter Lorenz

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Lorenz. https://biography.guide/peter-lorenz/

MLA: "Peter Lorenz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-lorenz/.

Chicago: "Peter Lorenz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-lorenz/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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