Michael Moos: How a war child shaped Freiburg's left-wing political legacy

Michael Moos, a long-serving city councillor for the Left List in Freiburg im Breisgau, has been a prominent figure in local politics for over 20 years. Born in 1947 as a Kriegskind (child of the war), his life and career were shaped by his Jewish heritage and the political activism of post-war Germany.

His parents, Alfred and Erna, fled Nazi persecution in 1933, first to London and later to Palestine. Many of Moos' relatives were murdered in the Shoah, and his maternal grandfather died by suicide in Palestine in 1939.

Moos studied law in Tübingen and Freiburg, where he later settled. He became a dedicated criminal defence lawyer, often taking on political cases. His early activism included involvement in the Socialist German Student Union (SDS) and later in Maoist and communist groups.

In the 2002 mayoral election, Moos won nearly 15 percent of the vote—a notable result for the PDS in western Germany at the time. His political career spanned decades, reflecting Freiburg's leftward shift since the 1970s. The city's political landscape was reshaped by 1960s student movements, with the Greens now holding key positions, including the Oberbürgermeister until 2018 and Bundestag seats like Chantal Kopf's since 2021.

Moos' mother, Erna, suffered long-term psychological effects from persecution, officially recognised in 1983 after a legal battle. While his memoir touches on his political life, it does not deeply explore his Jewish identity or the intergenerational trauma passed down from his family's experiences.

Moos' career as a lawyer and politician left a mark on Freiburg's left-wing jobs and career advice. His story connects the city's radical student movements of the past with its current political landscape. The legacy of his family's persecution and his own activism remain part of Freiburg's evolving history.