European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9over Here City still reveres martyred pastor byed Reavis \ a a a staff writer a by de Reavis staff writer Zeitz East Germany a thirteen years later the event still lives in the memory of the citizens of Zeitz. The Rev. Oskar Brusewitz quietly walked in front of his Church on aug. 20 poured gasoline Over himself and ignited it. He was 45 years old. Quot it was in protest of everything communism stood for particularly the persecution of christians in our society a said Brit Sewitz a wife Christina. A everyone got the message. He did not die in  Brusewitz s fiery death culminated a i Oscar period in which the communist party and the lutheran minister were in a constant Clinch. Stories about their fatal feud Are legion. A during a drought a his daughter Esther said a the communists set up signs throughout the Region a without god and despite the Sun we will bring in the  a father drove a horse and Wagon through the area with the sign a without rain and without god East Germany will go  a he painted a Luminescent Cross on the Church Steeple but was forced to remove it because the communists said it would distract Drivers on the Road about half a mile away. A the enraged authorities when he opened his Church kindergarten a said Gunter Friedrich a Friend. A it was unheard of. Nobody dared affront the state and party with such an  a amps maps amps Scott a. Miller above is the grave at Zeitz East Germany of the Rev. Oskar Bruise Witz the lutheran pastor who set himself afire sacrificing his life at 45 in protest against the former communist government. At right Are his daughter Esther and his widow Christina. Worst of All he said the people who allowed their children to attend were persecuted. When the state refused to plow land allotted to the Brusewitz Parish the pastor hitched his trabant car to a plow and did it himself. A even after his death they feared him a Friedrich said. At the Small cemetery where Bruise Witz is buried the Stasi the state Security police settled in a nearby building to film people who visited the grave. The Hole they made in the building for the filming can still be seen today. Before her husbands suicide Christina Brusewitz feared that the Security police would come one Day and take her husband away. A but he just said a i must provoke people into speaking out their minds. Communism is not right in saying that there is no god. This is not what god wants. God is  a Brusewitz came to Zeitz from Lithuania after world War ii. He began his theological studies at 35, leaving him what turned out to be a single decade to devote to his Church. A after he had a heart attack about nine months before his death he said he did no to know How much time he would have to help others a Christina Brusewitz said. A the Day before he set fire to himself the whole family went swimming a my sister Dorothee now in West Germany myself and my Mother. He insisted we stay All Day and we had a wonderful  the next Day Brusewitz went to the Church As usual. Shortly after arriving he torched himself. The secret policemen who had vigilantly kept watch Over Brusewitz quickly smothered the flames. But two Days later the preacher died. The end of his life marked the beginning of new troubles for the family. They wanted us to say that my husband was crazy a his wife said. A i told them the deed Wasny to Normal but my husband was not insane. They interrogated us for seven hours and returned for  Brit Sewitz a death started a dialogue Between Church and state that Hadnot existed before she said. The state feared similar acts would discredit it internationally. The Church which had been very critical of Brusewitz was Able to make important gains for christians in East Germany society. Practising christians for example suddenly were Able to attend College. Despite their tribulations Christina Brusewitz said the family does t Harbor hatred for the Stasi or what is left of the communist party in East Germany. A we Are also followers of the philosophy of the late Rev. Martin Luther King a she said. A hate Only Breeds hate and  defense experts warn of losing technology Edge Washington apr the government could rpm a i competitive Edge if it does not continue its Mil a Quot defense technology despite diminishing wednesday Industry experts told Congress on n worst that could happen is if we re caught with tip .tec"noi0� Cal Surprise a Norman r. Augus a i Iii Natian and chief executive officer of Martin House pand 3 ormer Pentagon official told a Nih two other defense Industry specialists unit he rom serv Ces defense policy panel that the states should create a proven weapon and then consider saving the product. However they said the work must include testing As Well As research and development. Donald a. Hicks chairman of Hicks amp associates inc., noted that if the government had stopped at research and development of the next generation air to air missile commonly known As Omraam the Pentagon would never have Learned of some of the problems found during the operational tests. A we should go All the Way to putting the item in inventory into the troops hands then shut Down the production line and put the proven data package on the shelf a Augustine said. The experts also stressed the importance of moving ahead with the next generation of weapons aircraft and submarines Only if development reflects a significant improvement from the current systems. Hicks a proponent of stealth technology said the United states has a real advantage in developing the radar evading characteristics Best known on the b-2 bomber. A we should gel it into the inventory and get As much As we can a Hicks said of the aircraft that is the Center of controversy because of its costly Price tag of $530 million a copy