Amadeu
Antonio

06. December 1990

Eberswalde

Life of Amadeu Antonio

Amadeu Antonio was born on 12 August 1962 in Quimbele, Angola, and was the eldest of 12 siblings. Friends described him as a calm, open-minded person with a love of music. He completed several training programmes, including in Sweden and Portugal, before coming to the GDR in 1987 as a so-called contract worker who had big dreams. His wish to study aeronautical engineering was denied – instead he worked as a butcher. Amadeu Antonio saw his future in Eberswalde even after reunification. Amadeu Antonio’s girlfriend at the time was pregnant at the time of the crime. His son, Amadeu Antonio Jr., was born on 9 January 1991.

Forms of remembrance

After the murder of Amadeu Antonio in 1990, the BIPOC community in Eberswalde lived in great fear. Everyday life was characterised by racist insults, exclusion from public life and the constant threat of being subjected to violence. Walking alone on the streets was considered life-threatening.

In 1994, the community founded the Palanca association to create safe spaces, strengthen solidarity and educate people about the history of contract workers. The African cultural association Palanca e.V. is still committed to better coexistence in Eberswalde today. Palanca e.V. organises an annual commemoration of Amadeu Antonio and is in close contact with his family in Angola and Germany. The association addresses anti-racism and right-wing extremist violence – both in educational programmes and in public – and offers refugees and African women a meeting place to break through isolation and share culture. Palanca e.V. also carries out integrative work with the aim of making cultural diversity visible and promoting unprejudiced coexistence and integrative measures.

The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, founded in 1998, also preserves his memory and campaigns in his name for civil courage and the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and right-wing violence.

The Barnimer campaign “Light me Amadeu” has been organising the annual commemoration of Amadeu Antonio since the mid-2000s. The campaign is made up of young and older people from Eberswalde, the Barnim district and beyond, who use a variety of formats such as workshops, talks and information campaigns to address racism and raise awareness of its effects and consequences. They work closely with the African cultural association Palanca e.V., the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), the pan-African women’s organisation PAWLO and the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

In Eberswalde, there is also a memorial plaque commemorating Amadeu Antonio, which the “Light me Amadeu” campaign is also working to make more visible and maintain. Since 2022, the plaque has been complemented by a history tree, which tells the story of Amadeu Antonio’s life, his dreams and his new home in Eberswalde. Several individual branches or plaques are dedicated to the racist murder of Amadeu Antonio and his memory. There is also contextual information to read here, such as the history of contract workers in the GDR.

What happened

This memorial chronicle addresses right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence, including specific incidents, backgrounds and consequences. The content may contain incriminating descriptions of violence, discrimination and suffering.

The following fold-out section “Description of the offence” describes specific acts of violence. We would therefore like to point out to those affected and readers that dealing with this content can have a re-traumatising effect. Before accessing the content, please check whether you feel mentally and emotionally able to deal with such topics and, if necessary, do not do so alone.

Saturday afternoon, 24 November 1990, Eberswalde: A group of young adults meet in the flat of a well-known neo-Nazi. Among them are known right-wing extremist skinheads from Gratz and Casekow as well as right-wing orientated youths from Eberswalde. They set off together to go to a discotheque. On the way there, some of the young adults get rowdy – they break into the snack van of a Turkish owner. The police had already been informed about the group’s meeting two weeks earlier, and the group had already been observed rioting on the way to the discotheque.

After the atmosphere in the discotheque was heated up with slogans such as “Heil Hitler” and the appropriate music, a group of 50 people moved on towards the “Hüttengasthaus” restaurant. Their aim was to “slap N* up”, as the defendants later stated on the record during the trial. The motivation of the mob was already clear on the way to the pub: “Germany for the Germans!”, “Foreigners out” and “N* fuck off!” shouted the racist mob.

On the three kilometre walk to the inn, the group of 50 to 60 people went on the rampage and began to arm themselves with fence slats. When Amadeu Antonio and his companions came into view of the mob, someone shouted “There are the N*!” The excited mob began to run towards the group. The friends were beaten with picket fences and softball bats. The group split up as they tried to escape. The companions were able to flee injured – the 28-year-old Amadeu Antonio was not. He was followed by around ten people and brutally beaten up. Even when he was already lying on the ground, the Nazis continue to kick him. One of the attackers jumped with both feet onto the head of the man lying on the ground. Only when a bus passed did the group let go of the unconscious man. Amadeu Antonio never regained consciousness and finally succumbed to the consequences of the merciless attack on 6 December 1990.

Sources

https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/ueber-uns/amadeu-antonio/

https://palanca-eberswalde.de/wir-ueber-uns/

https://light-me-amadeu.org/

https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/erinnerung-muss-sichtbar-sein-geschichtsbaum-fuer-amadeu-antonio-in-eberswalde-eingeweiht-85561/