Dietrich Wagner

Dietrich Wagner (1944 – 28 June 2023) was a German engineer who suffered damage to his eyes during the 2010 Stuttgart 21 project protests due to the use of water cannons. He was 66 at the time.{{cite web|author=Moore, Tristana|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2024512,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101012221359/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2024512,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 October 2010|title=German Railway Controversy Sends Angela Merkel Off Track|work=Time|date=8 October 2010|accessdate=6 February 2018}}

Wagner was struck and knocked unconscious by the high velocity stream of water and noticed blood running down his face when he woke up.{{cite web|author=Morrison, Sarah|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-dangers-of-water-cannon-blinded-german-man-tells-britain-dont-make-the-same-mistakes-as-other-countries-9134670.html|title=The dangers of water cannon: Blinded German man tells Britain 'don't make the same mistakes as other countries'|website=The Independent|date=17 February 2014|access-date=22 March 2014}} He suffered damage to his eyelids, an orbital blowout fracture, and damage to both lenses and retinas.{{cite news |url=http://www.thelocal.de/20101006/30295|title=Injured Stuttgart 21 protestor could stay blind |work=The Local |date=6 October 2010|access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316083301/https://www.thelocal.de/20101006/30295 |archive-date=16 March 2014}} Wagner subsequently had six eye operations but regained little of his vision and remained almost completely blind.

{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,722939,00.html |title=Wasserwerfer-Opfer bleibt auf einem Auge blind |work=Der Spiegel |date=13 October 2010 |accessdate=23 March 2011 |language=German |trans-title=Water cannon victim blinded in one eye |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502065832/http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,722939,00.html |archivedate=2 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101228-32075.html |title=Blinded Stuttgart 21 protestor wants apology |work=The Local |date=28 December 2010 |accessdate=23 March 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205220831/http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101228-32075.html |archivedate=5 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Aftermath

Before his participation in the Stuttgart 21 protests, Wagner had no political involvement since being in university. Pictures showing Wagner injured, with two people assisting him, were published in many German newspapers.{{cite web|title=Demonstranten drohen zu erblinden|url=http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/stz/page/2659225_0_9223_-nach-polizeieinsatz-demonstranten-drohen-zu-erblinden.html|website=Stuttgarter Zeitung|date=6 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225111708/http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/stz/page/2659225_0_9223_-nach-polizeieinsatz-demonstranten-drohen-zu-erblinden.html|archive-date=25 February 2011}} During later demonstrations, some protesters put red colour on their faces to symbolize Dietrich Wagner.{{cite web|title=Stuttgart 21: Blutiger Protest.|website=RP online|date=22 October 2010|url=http://www.rp-online.de/politik/Stuttgart-21-Blutiger-Protest_bid_59135.html|access-date=1 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904062444/http://www.rp-online.de/politik/Stuttgart-21-Blutiger-Protest_bid_59135.html|archive-date=4 September 2011|url-status=dead}}

Tristana Moore of Time wrote that the photograph of his injury caused "a regional dispute over an unpopular building project instantly transformed into a national issue — and the political repercussions are now reverberating all the way to Berlin." Wagner became a symbol of the protest against the Stuttgart 21 project. The German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote that he was the "face of the protest".{{cite news |last=Deininger |first=Roman |title=Als ob sich der Mörder selbst freispricht |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=30 September 2011|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/stuttgart-21-ein-jahr-nach-dem-schwarzen-donnerstag-wie-wenn-sich-der-moerder-selbst-frei-spricht-1.1153402 |access-date=20 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926031421/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/stuttgart-21-ein-jahr-nach-dem-schwarzen-donnerstag-wie-wenn-sich-der-moerder-selbst-frei-spricht-1.1153402 |archive-date=26 September 2020}} According to the author Jakob Augstein, the picture had a relevant impact, causing Minister of Baden-Württemberg Stefan Mappus to lose his position.{{cite news |last= Augstein |first=Jakob |author1-link=Jakob Augstein |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/augstein-kolumne-im-zweifel-zuschlagen-a-903393.html|title=Im Zweifel zuschlagen |work=Der Spiegel|date=3 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521102955/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/augstein-kolumne-im-zweifel-zuschlagen-a-903393.html |archive-date=21 May 2022}}

In 2014 he visited the United Kingdom to ask Theresa May, the Home Secretary, to not authorise usage of water cannons. In an editorial to The Telegraph Wagner opposed the use of water cannons.{{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Dietrich |author1-link=Dietrich Wagner |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10654956/People-of-Britain-beware-of-the-water-cannon-a-warning-from-Dietrich-Wagner-near-blinded-in-Stuttgart.html|title=People of Britain, beware of the water cannon': a warning from Dietrich Wagner, near-blinded in Stuttgart|website=The Telegraph|date=21 February 2014|access-date=22 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901055352/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10654956/People-of-Britain-beware-of-the-water-cannon-a-warning-from-Dietrich-Wagner-near-blinded-in-Stuttgart.html |archive-date=1 September 2022}}

Wagner died on 28 June 2023, at the age of 79.{{cite news |title=Durch Wasserwerfer erblindet: Stuttgart 21-Gegner Dietrich Wagner ist tot |url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/stuttgart/dietrich-wagner-ist-tot-s21-schwarzer-donnerstag-100.html |access-date=29 June 2023 |publisher=SWR |date=29 June 2023}}

References

Category:1945 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Engineers from Stuttgart

Category:German activists