Short biography
Holger Klaus Meins

Height: 6 ft 2 in, Eyes: blue-grey, Hat size: 6-7/8” , Collar size: 14 1/2, Shoe size: 8

1941
26th October, 9 am; born in Hamburg (Eimsbüttel).
Father: Wilhelm Julius Meins, born: 1907, died: 1986, salesman and precision engineer. Mother: Paula Elsa Meins née Will, born 1909, died 1966. One brother and one sister.

1948-1958
1st April 1948 until 31st March 1954: elementary school, from then until 31st March 1958: junior high school.
August 1957: participated in Jubilee Jamboree: INDABA MOOT, Sutton Coldfield Park, England, international scout meeting.

1961
15th June: Bundeswehr call-up, fitness level 3, local military service board Hamburg (Altona). 26th October: recognized as conscientious objector.

1962-1966
17th January 1962: A-levels at the St. George Grammar School for boys, Hamburg.
From April 1962: studied at the University for Fine Arts, Hamburg (Lerchenfeld). 15th April 1962 until 14th April 1963: drawing with Professor Garve.
15th April 1963 until 14th April 1964: painting with Prof. Thiemann.
15th April 1964 until 14th October 1964: photography course with Prof. Troeger, 15th April 1965 until summer 1966: film course with Prof. Ramsbott.
15th February until 15th April 1964: assistant stage setter at the Theater im Zimmer (Theatre in a Room), Hamburg. 15th June until 30th August 1964: unpaid traineeship in the printing works at RIVA Film and television studios, Unterfäringen near Munich. 1st September 1964 until 28th February 1966: camera assistant at ARPA-FILM Bruno Zöckler in Munich parallel to studying in Hamburg.
17th September 1966: started studying at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB).
December: participated in the SDS anti-Vietnam War demonstration in Berlin.

1967
2nd June: demonstrated against the visit of the Shah of Iran.
Summer: film weekend in Frankfurt, organized by Lui Tratter.
Autumn: worked in fact-finding committee about the police actions in Berlin on 2nd of June.
End of December: participated in experimental film festival in Knokke, Belgium.

1968
1st February: Springer tribunal, Film: Making a Molotov Cocktail.
May: occupied Film Academy in protest against the passing of Emergency Legislation. Banned from premises May 30th, rescinded June 10th.
June: journey to Italy, film festival in Pesaro, Venice and Turin.
5th September: action against the showing of the film Die grünen Teufel (The Green Devils), in Frankfurt. September 12th-19th: SDS Delegate Conference in Frankfurt.
4th November: Demonstration in Berlin (am Tegeler Weg).
27th November: expelled from Film Academy (with 17 other students) because of the occupation of the vice-chancellor’s office (trespass and constraint.)

1969
February: active strike, Frankfurt am Main University. Spring: students’ film project with Günter Peter Straschek in Frankfurt (target group film.)
September: moved into Commune 1 in Berlin. October: Folk festival in Essen.
Autumn: film shooting at the Hoechst dyestuff factory in Frankfurt with Thomas Mitscherlich, Enzio Edschmid, Hans Beringer.
11th November: the Berlin state court reverses expulsion decision and calls for the students to be readmitted to study at the Film Academy.

1970
Worked on the magazine 883, 1st May: Free all Prisoners placard.
14th August: arrested because of a supposed bomb attack on a police radio car, detained in Moabit Jail in Berlin, 14th September: released from jail. End of September: Tear Down the Walls placard.
From October: member of the Red Army Faction, Codename “Rolf”, forged identity card: Günter Jahn, born 5th May 1946 in Hagen/Westphalia, resident in Bremen, Pappelstr. 98 (cameraman.)

1972 until 1974
1st June 1972: arrested in Frankfurt am Main. June 1st-26th: detained in Bochum jail, 27th June 1972 until 22nd March 1973: detained in Koblenz jail, 23rd March 1973 until 9th November 1974: detained in Wittlich jail.
17th January until 20th February 1973: 1st hunger strike. 8th May until 29th June 1973: 2nd hunger strike, force fed from 23rd May. From 13th September 1974: 3rd hunger strike, force fed from 30th September. 1st November 1974: last letter to Manfred Grashof.
9th November 1974, 5 05pm, die in Wittlich: official cause of death: cardiac arrest, death through starvation – high-level emaciation.
18th November 1974: buried at the Stellingen Cemetry in Hamburg, funeral oration from Pastor Bahnsen, Rudi Dutschke: “Holger, the struggle continues.”