Andreas Schlagenhaufer (* 1941 in Söllitz (Trausnitz)) is a Roman Catholic priest and opponent of the Wackersdorf reprocessing plant (WAA) in Bavaria.
Personal life and work Schlagenhaufer attended the seminary in Regensburg from 1963 to 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1969. He served as a chaplain in Lappersdorf and then as parish priest in Kohlberg for 34 years. He retired from his priesthood and moved to Regenstauf in 2012.Pfarrer Andreas Schlagenhaufer spricht über Abschied, christliche Werte und politisches ...: "Ich bin ja nicht aus der Welt" (Pastor Andreas Schlagenhaufer speaks about farewells, Christian values and politics...: "I'm not going anywhere."), interview with Andreas Schlagenhaufer, , 24 August 2012
Schlagenhaufer joined the CSU (which he left twenty years laterDem Bischof nicht grün - Pfarrer darf nicht bei den bayerischen Grünen kandidieren (The bishop doesn't approve - the priest is not allowed to run for office with the Bavarian Greens), taz, 19 January 1990) and initially held a positive view of nuclear energy. A disappointing conversation with August Lang: German politician from the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) led him to become involved and join the citizens' initiative (BI) in 1985. He frequently spoke at the BI and, after the WAA (nuclear reprocessing plant) project was abandoned in 1990, joined its board. He was the spokesperson for the "umbrella organization of citizens' initiatives in the Upper Palatinate against the construction of nuclear facilities."Atomgegner weiter wachsam - Die BI gegen Atomanlagen beobachtet die Suche nach einem Endlager. (Opponents of nuclear power remain vigilant – the citizens' initiative against nuclear facilities is monitoring the search for a final repository), , 24 March 2019 While most other citizens' initiatives in the Upper Palatinate dissolved after the WAA ended in the 1990s, Schlagenhaufer remained active in the Weiden-Neustadt citizens' initiative, even though his involvement led to several summonses from the bishop."Ihr wart dabei" – Bürgerinitiative ehrt Brigitte Hese und Andreas Schlagenhaufer ("You were there" - Citizens' initiative honors Brigitte Hese and Andreas Schlagenhaufer), OberpfalzNetz, 26 January 2013
In 1990, Schlagenhaufer wanted to run for the Green Party in the district council, but this was forbidden by the church leadership.Dem Bischof nicht grün - Pfarrer darf nicht bei den bayerischen Grünen kandidieren (The bishop doesn't approve - the priest is not allowed to run for office with the Bavarian Greens), taz, 19 January 1990 As recently as 2024, he emphasized the importance of "green"-minded clergy today.Vor 40 Jahren wurde eine Kapelle bei Wackersdorf zum Zentrum des Widerstands (Forty years ago, a chapel near Wackersdorf became the center of resistance), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 16. December 2024
Critical stance towards the church "Revolutionary"Pfarrer Andreas Schlagenhaufer stößt noch immer Türen auf (Pastor Andreas Schlagenhaufer is still opening doors), Onetz, 4 August 2019 Schlagenhaufer became involved with the "Regensburg Action Group" (AKR) because he felt "that the Council was not being implemented." He was, for a time, editor-in-chief of the AKR magazine "Pipeline," which led to a dispute with Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller in 2004.Bischof Müller droht Pfarrern (Bishop Müller threatens priests), Münchner Merkur, 9 April 2009?"Galgenfrist" für Querdenker ("Reprieve" for lateral thinkers), Münchner Merkur, 19 April 2009?Reuige Pfarrer: Streit mit Bischof nach rund sechs Wochen beigelegt: Schlagenhaufer gibt nach (Repentant priest: Dispute with bishop settled after about six weeks: Schlagenhaufer gives in), Onetz, 16 Juli 2004Offizial des Bistums fordert Pfarrer Schlagenhaufer und Pfarrer Timpl auf, sich von kirchenschädigender Gruppierung zu distanzieren (The official of the diocese calls on Pastor Schlagenhaufer and Pastor Timpl to distance themselves from a group damaging to the church), pdr 31 May 2004
Regarding the issue of women in the Church, Schlagenhaufer believes that Jesus intended "that women have equal rights. The Catholic Church should implement this so that women can hold the same positions as men."Pfarrer Andreas Schlagenhaufer nimmt beim Frauenbund kein Blatt vor den Mund - Ehrungen: Makel der männlichen Dominanz (Pastor Andreas Schlagenhaufer doesn't mince words at the Catholic Women's Association - Honors: Stain of male dominance), Onetz, 15 October 2011
WAA priest at the Franziskus-Marterl
Priests Andreas Schlagenhaufer, , and Richard Salzl are considered key figures in the Christian resistance against the Wackersdorf reprocessing plant (WAA) and, among other things, held Sunday services at the Franziskus-Marterl.Das Franziskusmarterl bei Wackersdorf. 3D-Scan eines Objekts des Widerstands (The Franziskus-Marterl near Wackersdorf. 3D scan of a resistance object), Christlicher Widerstand - Foto: "Drei profilierte Vertreter des christlichen Widerstands gegen die WAA am Marterl" (Christian resistance - Photo: "Three prominent representatives of the Christian resistance against the WAA at the wayside shrine"), Kultur gegen die WAA Even after the WAA project was abandoned, Schlagenhaufer continued to hold services at the Franziskus-Marterl.Beeindruckende Andacht am heiligen Abend beim Franziskus-Marterl - Der Appell zur Demut: Stall und Krippe sind ganz nah (Impressive devotion on Christmas Eve at the St. Francis wayside shrine - The appeal to humility: stable and manger are very close.), Onetz, 27 December 2009
In 1986, Father Schlagenhaufer prayed: “Our bishop said that every stone thrown violates the peace. That is true. Every tree that is senselessly cut down also violates the peace. That, too, is true. Why doesn't our bishop tell the whole truth? If he only emphasizes one aspect, he is serving the business interests of the profit-driven nuclear industry.”„Das ist Krieg gegen die Oberpfalz“ - In der Bevölkerung hält der Zorn an ("This is war against the Upper Palatinate" - Anger persists among the population.), Die Zeit, 4 April 1986
Films and documentaries 1986: SpaltprozesseSpaltprozesse, Schlagenhaufer from minute 97
1986: WAAhnsinn – Der Wackersdorf-Film (Anti-WAAhnsinns Festival)WAAhnsinn, Schlagenhaufer from minute 47
2014: Interview - Main arguments against the WAA Wackersdorf, 3 minAndreas Schlagenhaufer (Interview 2014), Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte
2014: Interview - Sunday walks as a form of protest against the WAA and the associated clashes with the police, 3 minAndreas Schlagenhaufer (Interview 2014), Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte
2014: Interview - Conflicts with the church leadership that arose as a result of the protests against the WAA, and the importance of one's own freedom of conscience, 2 minAndreas Schlagenhaufer (Interview 2014), Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte
2019: 30 years since the end of the WAA, Oberpfalz TV, 1 min30 Jahre Ende der WAA auf , 2 May 2019, 1 min
2026: 40 years ago - The role of the churches in the Wackersdorf protests, BR24, 3 minVor 40 Jahren - Die Rolle der Kirchen bei den Wackersdorf-Protesten, BR24 2026, YouTube 3 min
2026: The churches and Wackersdorf: 40 years after the Easter protests, BR, 7 min Die Kirchen und Wackersdorf: 40 Jahre nach den Oster-Protesten, Bayerischer Rundfunk, audio contribution, 7 min
References
External links
"Widerstand - zäh und hartnäckig" - Interview mit Pfarrer Andreas Schlagenhaufer, Radi Aktiv (magazine) 6/1986 p. 65f