CON

Independence. If there's a common thread running through the
life of Conrad Schnitzler (1937 - 2011), it is his unfailing
commitment to independence, something he learned at an early
age. In the turmoil of war, his mother was evacuated to Austria, so
he and his younger brother made their way through the bombed
out ruins of Germany's industrial Ruhrgebiet to get there. He
attended an Austrian village school with children of all ages before
returning to D sseldorf where he completed an apprenticeship as
a mechanical engineer. This revealed another side to his character:
planning and precision were as much a part of him as the desire
for independence. The latter came under threat in 1956 when
West Germany reintroduced military service, with conscientious
objection an unrealistic option in the Cold War climate. A few
occupations were exempt from conscription, miners for example.
Signing up for the merchant navy presented another loophole.
Conditions on board were so unappealing that such an incentive
was deemed necessary. Whilst on shore leave in D sseldorf,
Schnitzler heard about a professor at the School of Art
(Kunstschule) who also accepted students into his class without
high school diplomas. Conrad Schnitzler became one of them.