Peace Advocate David Krieger Has Died

David Krieger, a founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara, died on December 7 at the age of 81. He spoke around the world, advocating for the abolishment of nuclear weapons and for establishing peace, a mission he felt called to after studying in Japan in the 1960s. There, he visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scenes of the first, and so far only, uses of nuclear weapons in history.

Krieger was researching for his PhD in political science at the time, but he was soon drafted into the Vietnam War, where he declared conscientious objector status. In 1972, he moved to Santa Barbara with his wife, Carolee Krieger, arriving at the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, under the wing of Elisabeth Mann Borgese, whose focus was the Law of the Sea regarding minerals, jurisdictions, and navigation.

Krieger founded the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in 1982 with four cofounders and remained its executive director until he retired in 2019. Their work included education on the dangers of the Cold War’s irrational nuclear arms race, and advocating for peace and justice, a message that resonated with audiences. The Foundation’s annual Evening for Peace brought Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Dr. Helen Caldicott, Rev. James Lawson, and many other luminaries to Santa Barbara.

Krieger leaves his wife; their three children, Jeffery, Jonathon, and Mara Sweeney; grandchildren; a great-grandchild; his brother Gary Krieger; and many nieces and nephews.