Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian, Died at 77

  Media, Writers

Rupert Neudeck was born on May 14, 1939, and died on May 31, 2016.

He was a German journalist and humanitarian.

Rupert was born in the Danzig, Free City of Danzig, today Gdańsk, Poland and lived in Danzig-Langfuhr (Wrzeszcz) until 1945.

After the German civilians were evacuated from eastern Germany his family had received tickets for the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, which left Gdingen (Gdynia) on 31 January 1945 and was torpedoed 3 hours later, but missed the ship for two hours.

However, he was a refugee during his childhood.

When he had completed his studies in different subjects in West Germany, including law and Catholic theology, he became a journalist.

Neudeck was recognized as a correspondent for Deutschlandfunk in radio journalism.

During 1979, Christel and Rupert Neudeck, together with a group of friends, formed the committee “A ship for Vietnam” and chartered for the rescue mission the freighter “Cap Anamur”.

Neudeck did humanitarian work in this project that aids refugees.

Neudeck also founded “Grünhelme e.V.” (Green Helmets; voluntary association) for rebuilding schools, villages, and ambulances in destroyed regions.

Neudeck was listed on Unsere Besten (“Our Best”), a German poll similar to 100 Greatest Britons.

Neudeck was featured in an interview on Paris by Night 77, which commemorated the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the work of Cap Anamur.

Rupert Neudeck passed away at 77 yrs old.