Langhans on his 85th birthday: "I'm content with life"

A Non-Conventional Approach to 85th Birthday Wishes for Rainer Langhans: "I'm already happy"

Eighty-five-year-old Rainer Langhans expresses contentment, stating, "I'm already content." - Langhans on his 85th birthday: "I'm content with life"

Rainer Langhans, the 68er icon known for his unconventional lifestyle, celebrates his 85th birthday on June 19. Despite living with prostate cancer for years, Langhans maintains a positive outlook and embraces dying as a natural part of life.

Back in March, headlines suggested Langhans was dying, but he quickly clarified that he had been preparing for his inevitable end for a long time. "I practice dying, you could say," he explained, adding that it brings him "enormous peace."

Living and Dying: An Unorthodox Perspective

Langhans' approach to his illness seems at odds with most people's expectations. Instead of being devastated by the diagnosis, he responded with enthusiasm. "Cancer? I don't mind," he said, attributing his calm demeanor to meditation. Meditating, he believes, is about preparing for death every day.

For Langhans, the illness has served as an opportunity to strengthen his daily practice. He urges others to accept their illnesses and view them as a chance for personal growth.

A Unique Relationship Model

Langhans lives in Munich's Schwabing district with three women, who are sometimes referred to as a "harem." However, they do not share living spaces and come together spiritually instead. His three partners support one another on their shared journey. As Christa Ritter, one of his partners, put it, "You only learn to die if you interpret your life positively."

The women, each in their own apartment, form a close-knit community. They understand and accept the term "harem" but acknowledge that it's often misunderstood as a form of female oppression, which is not the case.

The Radical Roots of a countercultural Icon

In the 1960s, Langhans co-founded the legendary Commune 1, which was seen as a threat to society with its radical alternative lifestyle. The commune protested against the Nazi generation, the Shah, and the Vietnam War. Their unconventional actions, from burning department stores to the much-publicized pudding attack on US Vice President Hubert Humphrey, shook the establishment.

Throughout his life, Langhans has remained committed to challenging societal norms. In his late years, this is evident in his vegetarian diet, walks, cycling, table tennis, and meditation, which he calls "species-appropriate living."

In 2011, Langhans participated in the RTL "Jungle Camp," regarding it as a form of communal living experience. Despite earning significant money for his participation, he quickly spend most of it.

A Stranger in this World

Throughout his life, Langhans has remained true to his unconventional path. At times, he has felt misunderstood or alienated. Born as the first of four children in Oschersleben near Magdeburg, he didn't feel he belonged. His parents sent him to a strict religious boarding school, which only solidified his sense of otherness.

During his conscript service, Langhans discovered lively intellectual circles, which helped him find like-minded individuals. From the extra-parliamentary opposition (APO), the Kommune 1 emerged. They believed that private life was political, which explains Langhans' recent advocacy for the sharing of personal data online.

A New Man: Embracing Change

Currently, Langhans is receiving a therapy that reduces his testosterone levels to zero, effectively chemically castrating him. "I am no longer a man at all, if you will. I am now a human, instead of just a man," he says. He views this as an opportunity to rise "above all these lowlands of libido."

Langhans' three partners are organizing his birthday. Instead of the usual party, they plan deeper conversations. Langhans himself says he is without wishes: "I am already happy – I wish for nothing."

Enrichment Data:

• Rainer Langhans is best known as a German social activist and one of the key figures of the Kommune 1, a countercultural movement in West Germany.
• Langhans' philosophy, as reflected in his involvement with Kommune 1, focused on challenging mainstream social and political structures, which might extend to unconventional views on death and dying.
• Langhans' legacy includes inspiring later generations to challenge societal conventions, potentially including reevaluating traditional perspectives on death and dying.

1. In a departure from common expectations, Rainer Langhans, known for his non-conventional lifestyle, responds to his prostate cancer with enthusiasm, viewing it as an opportunity for personal growth.
2. Embracing dying as a natural part of life, Langhans practices meditation daily to prepare for his eventual end, bringing him "enormous peace."
3. Beyond the physical arrangement of living with three women, often referred to as a 'harem', the trio in Langhans' life forms a close-knit community, spiritually supporting one another on their shared journey.
4. Refusing to be confined by societal norms, Langhans' vegetarian diet, walks, cycling, table tennis, and meditation reflect his commitment to 'species-appropriate living.'
5. Aligning with his countercultural roots, Langhans advocates for the sharing of personal data online, believing that private life is political.
6. Currently undergoing a therapy that reduces his testosterone levels, Langhans describes himself as no longer a man but a human, and sees the change as an opportunity to rise "above all these lowlands of libido."
7. For his 85th birthday, rather than a typical party, Rainer Langhans' three partners plan deeper conversations, reflecting his unconventional approach to life and his age-defying contentment: "I am already happy – I wish for nothing."

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