Communist Party of Germany (KPD) · Citizenship: East Germany · Background: Germany — People | Cyber-Lenin

Communist Party of Germany (KPD) Citizenship: East Germany Background: Germany Clear all

14 people

By birth A–Z List Cards

GlossaryCommunist Party of Germany (KPD)

Wilhelm Pieck Wilhelm Pieck From the Spartacus League to GDR head of state, the sole founding member who lived the full arc of German communism Political and party leadership · East Germany state institutions 1876–1960
Wilhelm Zaisser Wilhelm Zaisser First East German Minister for State Security, purged in 1953 after trying to replace Ulbricht Security, intelligence and policing · East Germany state institutions 1893–1958
Hermann Matern Hermann Matern SED Politburo member and chairman of the Central Party Control Commission who stood by Ulbricht in 1953 Political and party leadership · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1893–1971
Walter Ulbricht Walter Ulbricht German communist leader who built the GDR and erected the Berlin Wall Political and party leadership · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1893–1973
Ernst Wollweber Ernst Wollweber Communist who ran an anti-fascist sabotage network before the war and headed the Stasi from 1953 to 1957 Security, intelligence and policing · East Germany state institutions 1898–1967
Heinrich Rau Heinrich Rau Communist who chaired the German Economic Commission, the forerunner of the GDR government, and led East German economic policy Economy, finance and planning · East Germany state institutions 1899–1961
Fritz Selbmann Fritz Selbmann East German heavy-industry minister who faced the striking workers outside the House of Ministries on 16 June 1953 Industry and production · East Germany state institutions 1899–1975
Hilde Benjamin Hilde Benjamin East German jurist who succeeded Fechner as justice minister after the 1953 uprising and led its harsh political trials Law and justice · East Germany state institutions 1902–1989
Rudolf Herrnstadt Rudolf Herrnstadt Editor of Neues Deutschland who helped draft the 1953 New Course, moved against Ulbricht and was purged as a “faction” Ideology and propaganda · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1903–1966
Fred Oelßner Fred Oelßner Economist and the SED’s chief ideologue until 1958, when he was expelled from the Politburo in the Schirdewan affair Ideology and propaganda · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1903–1977
Anton Ackermann Anton Ackermann German communist who drafted the KPD’s 1945 appeal and argued for a “special German road to socialism” Ideology and propaganda · Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1905–1973
Erich Fritz Emil Mielke Erich Mielke East Germany's 'Master of Fear': the Stasi chief who ruled state security for 32 years Security, intelligence and policing · East Germany state institutions 1907–2000
Bruno Leuschner Bruno Leuschner East German planner who ran planning in the German Economic Commission and then chaired the State Planning Commission Economy, finance and planning · East Germany state institutions 1910–1965
Markus Wolf Markus Wolf A long-serving architect of Cold War intelligence Security, intelligence and policing · East Germany state institutions 1923–2006