After the murder of Walther Rathenau, a distraught classmate of Dietrich Bonhoeffer spontaneously wondered, “what will become of Germany if they murder their greatest leaders?” Shortly before, in Bonhoeffer's class at the Grunewald gymnasium (Rathenau lived in the Grunewald villa district of Berlin), strange noises had been heard during the third hour of the lessons. In that moment, Minister Rathenau was gunned down, scarcely 300 metres from the school. An animal, a lunatic, a madman took another man's life, only because he did not like him, Dietrich wrote to his twin sister Sabine: “Berlin is dominated by frenzy and fury. In the Reichstag [Parliament], it is dog eat dog.”

Walther Rathenau (1867-1922) was a prominent German. His father, Emil Rathenau, founded the AEG factory in 1883. His son was exceptionally gifted in literature and philosophy; in his professional life, however, he became well known as an industrialist and politician.

Walther Rathenau (1867-1922) was a prominent German. His father, Emil Rathenau, founded the AEG factory in 1883. His son was exceptionally gifted in literature and philosophy; in his professional life, however, he became well known as an industrialist and politician.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he finalized the Treaty of Rapallo negotiations on 16 April 1922 between the German Weimar Republic and the Soviet Union, which delivered both countries from their undesirable political isolation after the First World War.