Extra-Parliamentary Opposition (APO)

While Schmidt is introducing himself here as a new direct candidate for the Bergedorf constituency on 26 August 1969, a crowd patrolled by hundreds of police and water cannon shouts »Who betrayed us? – the Social Democrats«. The cause of the protest is the active support by Schmidt, who heads the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, for the »emergency laws« that were passed the previous year. The laws allow for certain fundamental rights and competencies of the federal states to be restricted in times of war or natural disaster. Nevertheless, Schmidt wins 61.1 % of the vote, which sees him become Minister of Defence in the social-liberal coalition headed by Chancellor Willy Brandt (SPD). The Lichtwarkhaus later badly needs renovation and is forced to give way to the construction of a new cultural and community centre in 2019.