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August Bebel
(* 22.02.1840 in Cologne-Deutz, † 13.08.1913 in
Passugg)
Joint founder of the social-democratic party of Germany.
Joined 1861 in Leipzig the German workers' movement and became in 1867 chairmen
of the federation of German worker associations. With William Liebknecht,
who to impressed Marxist ideas on him, he created the Saxonian people's
party in the same year and 1869 the social-democratic labour party. Since 1867
Bebel belonged to the parliament. 1872 he was condemned to imprisonment in a fortress
because of high treason and majesty offense. When 1890 the socialist law fell,
Bebel was considerably involved in the elaboration of the "Erfurt program"
of the social-democratic party of Germany. Under his energetic guidance the SPD
developed soon to a mass party.
Frederick Augustus I.
the strong (* 12.05.1670 in Dresden, † 01.02.1733 in Warsaw)
was mentioned August the strong because of his legendary strength. Since 1694 as
Frederick Augustus I. elector of Saxony and since 1697 as Augustus II. king
of Poland. In order to become king of Poland,he converted to the catholic faith.
His influence on the cultural development in Saxony was very important. With
many cultural monuments his name is connected. On his instruction
1710 the porcelain manufactory was created
in Meissen. 1722 began the reorganisation and extension of the art collections
and the measurement of the Saxon roads.
In this time also the first post office mile columns were set up.
Militarily and economically he rendered however no services. By the high costs
of his holding of court in styles of Ludwig XIV. he left totally wrecked
economical conditions in Saxony.
Walther
Ulbricht (* 30.06.1893 in Leipzig, † 1.8.1973 in
Doellnsee near Berlin)
Politician
The learned carpenter, since 1912 member of the social-democratic party of
Germany (SPD), belonged 1919 to the initial members of the communist party of
Germany (KPD).
1926 he was selected into the Saxon federal state parliament.
Ulbricht was from 1928 to 1933 member of German parliament. By the national socialists
wanted, he emigrated to Paris, later to Prague and Moscow.
1943 he was broadcast propagandist of the Red Army at the front. The
joint founder of the national committee free Germany (NKFD) returned 1945 to
Germany and organized the reconstruction of the KPD.
As 1946 KPD and SPD merged into the socialist united party of Germany (SED),
Ulbricht became deputy chairmen and on the III. Party Congress of the SED
(1950) Secretary-General of the Central Committee.
Ten years later he became a chairman of the Council of State (head of state of
the republic). 1970 he came into conflict with a part of the party leadership in
the question of the organization of the relations between GDR and FRG and lost
the support of Moscow.
1971 Walther Ulbricht stepped down for "health reasons" from the function of
the first secretary of the Central Committee of the SED,
however formally remained chairman of the Council of State and was appointed the
honorary chairman of the SED.
Deprived of political power, Walter Ulbricht died lonely in 1973.
Herbert Wehner (*
11.06.1893 in Dresden, † 19.06.1990 in Bonn-Bad Godesberg)
Politician
His political way was as so unusual as his nature. Herbert Wehner was born as a son
of a shoemaker. After training as industrial clerk he joined the KPD 1927.
In 1929 he became secretary of the revolutionary trade union opposition, 1930
deputy secretary of the KPD in Saxony, 1930/31 member of the federal state
parliament and deputy leader of the parliamentary group.
Starting from 1932 he was as a "technical secretary" of the Politburo one of
the first coworkers of Ernst Thaelmann.
1933-35 he worked in the underground for the forbidden KPD. Starting
from 1935 he lived in emigration and was active in Moscow
at the Komintern (from 1937).
1942 he was condemned in Sweden because of the endangerment
of the Swedish neutrality to one year detention.
Expelled from the KPD, he carried out the final break with communism, returned
1946 to Germany, worked as an editor in Hamburg and became member of the SPD.
Wehner belonged soon to the closest circle of the SPD chairman Kurt Schuhmacher.
Since 1949 member of the Bundestag (west-german parliament), he carried relevant
responsibility for the transformation of the SPD into one left from the center
standing people's party (Godesberger program) and implemented against the partial
embittered resistance the agreement to the Adenauers' NATO and European politics.
1958-76 deputy party chairman, he prepared the large coalition between SPD and
CDU (1966-69) and became a Minister for all-German questions. Wehner was a
passionate parliamentarian.
In the Bundestag he was feared because of his sharp attacks and sarkastic
interruptions. Starting from 1969 he promoted considerably the east politics of
the social liberals coalition.
Together with Helmut Schmidt and Willy Brandt he formed as the leader of the
parliamentary group over many years the triumvirate of the SPD (1969-83).
Clara Zetkin, née
Eissner (* 05.07.1857 in Wiederau, † 20.06.1933
in Arkhangelskoye near Moscow)
The feminist and politician was trained in the teacher seminar of Auguste Schmidt,
one of the word guides of the civil women's movement, and studied after her
marriage with the Russian revolutionary Ossip Zetkin at the Sorbonne.
After the early death of her man she returned to Germany, where she followed the
Social Democrats.
1891-1916 she led the social-democratic woman's magazine "the equality".
As compromiseless fighter for the women's matter she was feared also in the
own rows. She rejected each co-operation with the civil women's movement, since
for she the women problem was connected with the class warfare on the closest.
With the developing of the KPD she became the guide of the communist women and
was 1920-33 member of the parliament.
1932 she was statutory age president of the parliament and had to let wash over
one the defamations of Goebbels. To the seizure of power of the
national socialists Clara Zetkin went into the Soviet Union, where she died on
20 June 1933.
