Harry Schwarz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 7 Harry Schwarz From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia His Excellency Harry Heinz Schwarz (born May 13, 1924) is a Harry Heinz Schwarz former South African politician, diplomat, jurist and prominent leader in the anti-apartheid movement. Despite the childhood poverty he experienced as a German Jewish refugee, Harry Schwarz rose to become an esteemed lawyer and soon became a member of the Transvaal Provincial Council, where from 1963-74, he would be Leader of the Opposition. In the 1964 Rivonia Trial he was a defense attorney. As Leader of the United Party in Transvaal, he led the liberal "Young Turks" to breakaway from the United Party and created the Reform Party of which he was the leader. As an opposition leader in Parliament he held the posts of Shadow Finance Minister and Shadow Defense Minister. He was a founding member of the Democratic Party. During South Africa's transition into democracy he was South African ambassador to the United States, and was also th accredited as the first South African ambassador 13 South Africa Ambassador to United to Barbados. He was in the minority opposition States for over 40 years and was a prominent opponent In office of the National Party. March 6 1991 – January 12 1995 President Frederik Willem de Klerk He was one of the founders of the Torch Nelson Mandela Commando, an ex-soldiers' movement to protest Preceded by Piet Koornhof against the disenfranchisement of the coloured Succeeded by Franklin Sonn people in South Africa. He was also on the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and was one 1st South Africa Ambassador to Barbados of the Jewish community's foremost leaders. He In office is regarded as one of the great South African 1993 – 1995 public speakers and debaters of his time. In his political career spanning 43 years, in which he Shadow Minister of Finance gained respect from across the political spectrum, he never lost an election. He is a In office November 30 1977 – May 5 1987 World War II veteran, having served as a navigator in the South African Air Force. In Preceded by John Jaminan 1988 he received the Order for Meritorious Succeeded by Jan van Zyl Service and has several Honorary Doctorates. Shadow Minister of Defense He was described by the University of In office Stellenbosch as "one of the conceptual and moral 1977 – 1984 fathers of the new South Africa" [1] in the sense Preceded by Vause Raw that Schwarz had not only been one of Succeeded by Roger Hulley apartheid's most prominent opponents, but his ideas and the initiatives he had taken had played Leader of the Opposition in the Transvaal an important role in the development of the In office concept of a negotiated democracy in South 1963 – 1974 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Schwarz 24/01/2010 Harry Schwarz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 2 of 7 Africa, based on the principles of freedom and justice. Nelson Mandela, a friend of his who he Succeeded by Alf Widman visited while in prison, described him as a "champion of the poor". Member of Parliament for Yeoville In office April 24 1974 – February 6 1991 Contents Preceded by Marais Steyn Succeeded by Douglas Gibson 1 Refugee from Germany 1.1 Military Service Member of the Transvaal Provincial Council 2 Wits University for Hillbrow 3 Rivonia Trial In office 4 Provincial Politics 1958 – 1974 5 Tensions within United Party 6 Parliamentary career Born May 13, 1924 6.1 Realigning opposition Cologne, Weimar Republic 6.2 Leader of the Opposition Political party United Party 6.3 Democratic Party Reform Party 7 South African Ambassador to United Progressive Reform Party States Progressive Federal Party Democratic Party 8 Jewish Board of Deputies Spouse(s) Annette Louise Schwarz 9 Awards and honors 10 Present life Children Jonathan, Allan & Michael Schwarz 11 Quotes 12 Sources Alma mater University of the Witwatersrand 13 References Occupation Solicitor Religion Judaism Refugee from Germany Harry Heinz Schwarz was born to Fritz Schwarz and Alma Schwarz in Cologne, Germany. He arrived in South Africa as a Jewish refugee from Germany in 1934. He traveled onboard the SS Giulio Cesare. To get to the Giulio Cesare, he and his family had to cross the border into Switzerland. They then got on a train to Milan and then to Genoa. When they arrived in Cape Town they stayed in one room in a house in Kloof Street. The descrimination and financial difficulties of his family left a strong impression and helped shape his political philosophy with its emphasis on social justice and the rule of law He attended Tamboerskloof School and South African College Schools in Cape Town and then Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg. Military Service Main article: Military history of South Africa during World War II In 1942, aged 17, he joined the South African Air Force during World War II in order to fight Nazism. He served as a navigator. He fought in North Africa and Italy. He was in 15 squadron and seconded to the RAF. In 1984 he was made an Honorary Colonel of the 15th Squadron. Wits University Apartheid in South Africa Events and Projects In 1946 Harry went to University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he first befriended fellow students and Sharpeville Massacre Soweto uprising · Treason Trial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Schwarz 24/01/2010 Harry Schwarz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 3 of 7 future anti -apartheid political activists Nelson Mandela and Joe Slovo. He joined the United Party and assisted in the Rivonia Trial · Mahlabatini Declaration Church Street bombing · CODESA 1948 election. However, as a result of the National Party St James Church massacre victory, he was determined to become more active and was Cape Town peace march · Purple Rain elected Chairman of the United Party branch at the Organisations university. He argued that the National Party's victory in 1948 was reversible and anyone who opposed them should ANC · IFP · AWB · Black Sash · CCB concentrate on defeating them. He was awarded a BA, with Conservative Party · ECC · PP · RP distinctions in both history and economical history, and later PFP · HNP · MK · PAC · SACP · UDF an LLB. In 1949 he was admitted as an attorney, and later as Broederbond · National Party a barrister (Member of Middle Temple) in London, United COSATU · SADF · SAP Kingdom and, in 1953, became an advocate at the South People African Bar. He was at the Bar at the same time as Joe Slovo. P. W. Botha · Oupa Gqozo · D. F. Malan Nelson Mandela · Desmond Tutu F. W. de Klerk · Walter Sisulu Rivonia Trial Helen Suzman · Harry Schwarz Andries Treurnicht · H. F. Verwoerd Main article: Rivonia Trial Oliver Tambo · B. J. Vorster Kaiser Matanzima · Jimmy Kruger Steve Biko · Mahatma Gandhi In 1964 Nelson Mandela and many other political opponents Joe Slovo · Trevor Huddleston were arrested. They were brought to court in the Rivonia Places Trial. Harry Schwarz was one of the defence barristers in the trial defending Accused No. 8 Jimmy Kantor, who was a Bantustan · District Six · Robben Island close friend of his. Kantor was Mandela's lawyer in the trial Sophiatown · South-West Africa until he too was arrested and charged with the same crimes Soweto · Sun City · Vlakplaas as Mandela. After being the subject of vicious taunting and Other aspects many attempts to place him as a vital cog of MK by Percy Yutar, finally Judge Quartus de Wet discharged him, stating Afrikaner nationalism Accused No 8 has no case to answer. Schwarz was refused Apartheid laws · Freedom Charter access to Mandela while he was imprisoned on Robben Sullivan Principles · Kairos Document Island, however he was granted access to visit him after Disinvestment campaign 1988 when he was transferred to Victor Verster Prison. South African Police After the trial he stopped being a barrister and became a solicitor so that he could concentrate on fighting apartheid. Provincial Politics Harry Schwarz's political career started with his election to the Johannesburg City Council for Booysens in 1951. He succeeded Labour Party politician Jimmy Green, who was his wife's uncle, who had been the City Councillor for Booysens since 1920. In 1958 in a by-election he was elected into the Transvaal provincial council for Hillbrow. In 1963 he became leader of the opposition in the Transvaal Provincial Council, a post he would hold until 1974. Throughout his political career, Schwarz continued to practice law. However, he briefly withdrew from law between 1969-74 when he was the Chief Executive of Merchant Bank. Tensions within United Party Schwarz was known as the leader of the liberal "Young Turks" in the United Party who were fundamentally opposed to apartheid, unlike the party's national leader De Villiers Graaff. Schwarz achieved prominence as a race relations and economic reformist in the party. In 1971 he became deputy leader of the UP in the Transvaal, a post specially created for him. However, internal divisions in the Party between liberals and conservatives came to a head in August 1972 when Schwarz replaced Marais Steyn as the leader of the United Party in the Transvaal. Steyn had been a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Schwarz 24/01/2010 Harry Schwarz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 4 of 7 MP for almost 25 years and for 15 years had been a close adviser to De Villiers Graaff . After he lost the election he defected to the National Party. His victory was a visible sign of strength from the liberals within the party. On January 4 1974, Harry Schwarz met with Mangosuthu Buthelezi.