‘This Unfortunate Man’: Imperial German naval captain and lifelong pacifist Heinz Kraschutzki

Heinz Kraschutzki grew up wishing to join the Imperial German Navy’s officer ranks. Yet after his service in the First World War he first joined the communist Bremerhaven Soldiers’ Council before becoming a radical pacifist until his death. Using archive materials, this article highlights his extraordinary life, giving special attention to how a stateless ex-kapitänleutnant was freed from a Spanish prison by the British government, and examining the relationship he developed with his officer classmates (Crew comrades). Generally, ‘Crews’ produced bonds of friendship, but they also had the power to isolate or defame. This article also gives insights into the political cosmos of German naval officers.