Klaus Schnellenkamp

Klaus Schnellenkamp (* 24 December 1972 in Colonia Dignidad, Chile) is an established Chilean author. He gained worldwide fame after his spectacular escape from the Colonia Dignidad to Germany in December 2005. His book in German Geboren im Schatten der Angst; Ich überlebte die Colonia Dignidad. (Born in the shadow of fear; I survived the Colonia Dignidad) is a not just a dramatic account of his life within the Colonia Dignidad and his struggle to survive but also shows the human nature's reaction and astounding creativity when faced with such inhumane and desperate situations.

His Life

Klaus Schnellenkamp parents Kurt Schnellenkamp Nelaimischkies (* 14 March 1927) and Elisabeth Witthahn Krüger (* 31 May 1936; - † 23 July 2009) were the co-founders of the Colonia Dignidad. In 1961 they followed the sect leader Paul Schäfer to Chile in order to found and built up the Colonia Dignidad.

Schnellenkamp attended from 1980 to 1990 the German private school within the Colonia Dignidad, where he was awarded the highest grades. As opposed to the regulations of the sect leadership he studied technical literature in natural and social sciences. This in combination with his secretly written poems and ballads led to punishment and social isolation from within the community.

After graduation Schnellenkamp became active in the business management of the sect. In spite of his very rebellious position towards the sect leadership Schnellenkamp managed to develop and strengthen his position within the Colonia Dignidad. From this position he was able to get a good insight into the intrigues of the group which presented itself to the outside world as a charitable community. Due to his public criticism of the economic criminal activity of the sect, Klaus Schnellenkamp became several times a victim of [...] attempts.

Two years after the escape of the sect leader Paul Schäfer, Schnellenkamp made up for his missing official school graduation, when in August 1999 he took the required exams. In 2000 he acquired his Chilean higher education entrance qualification and passed subsequently the state university entrance examination.

In 2002 Klaus Schnellenkamp took up one term of an occupational study of managerial economics. In the same year he acquired the German general qualification for university entrance and studied in the subsequent year two semesters of managerial economics and business administration in the distance learning university of FernUniversität Hagen. Between 2004 and 2005 he qualified as a polyglot graduate in managerial economics and industrial management.

Since December, 2005 Klaus Schnellenkamp has been living in Munich, Germany. His autobiography which appeared in spring of 2007 Geboren im Schatten der Angst (Born in the Shadow of the Fear) has attracted the attention of both the German and Chilean public towards himself. Since May, 2008 he works as a independent entrepreneur in Munich.

Literature

Klaus Schnellenkamp: Geboren im Schatten der Angst: Ich überlebte die Colonia Dignidad. Herbig, München 2007, ISBN 978-3-7766-2505-9.

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