1150:, was far less fraternal than would have been assumed at the time in the west. Recently discovered documents indicate that even in 1959 Moscow agreed to deliver to the German Democratic Republic only around half the raw materials which the East German economic plan for 1960-62 called for. One solution was to try and select trading partners according to commercial criteria and not purely according to political dogma. The economic blockade dividing East Germany from the west was largely self-imposed: between 1962 and 1965 Apel was able to oversee a modest trend whereby the proportion of East Germany's foreign trade with west rose from 21% to 25% of the total. But more than half of the country's trade was reported in 1965 to be with the Soviet Union, conducted on terms favourable to Moscow and disadvantageous to East Germany, applying set prices that were well below "world market prices", both for exports and for imports.
1135:). East Germans must be able to eat more butter and meat than West Germans. One day they must be able to travel in faster cars and live in better apartments. This must be accomplished without having to copy "capitalist production methods". Apel must make it happen, not "someday ... never", but by creating and following a plan. If it was a dream, it was a dream in which many comrades evidently believed. In July 1961 Apel was promoted to candidate membership of the politburo and secretaryship of the Central Committee. There were other appointments which combined to stress his importance in the wider government project. In 1960 he received a doctorate in return for a dissertation on the so-called East German Chemistry Programme.
1173:, the new party secretary in Moscow, condemned his predecessor's "failures of economic leadership". There were a number of rapid practical changes. Soviet wheat deliveries to East Germany planned for 1966 were cut back to 400,000 tonnes, a third of the annual quantity in existing plans. Within the East German leadership Apel had always been able to count on backing for his reforms from Walter Ulbricht, but the changes in Moscow meant that Ulbricht's driving priority was now to secure his own position. Back in January 1963 Ulbricht had stunned colleagues, under the influence of Apel, announcing a 180-degree reversal on economic policy. "We need economics to trump politics" (
758:. Apel seems to have been in his element. A contemporary later recalled that he worked from 07.30 until 17.30, like everyone else, but then in the evenings he retreated to his bedroom in a nearby hostel, in order to work on proposals for improvements. His speciality was the hydraulic systems for the rockets. He was tireless in his work of calculation, measuring and modelling. He seems to have made a good impression, since in August 1940 he was relieved of all further obligations regarding military service. In November 1940 he was appointed to the position of plant engineer and assistant to the facility director. He was totally uninterested in politics, never joining the
1142:), and designed to double chemicals production by 1965, making it the country's second largest industrial sector after mechanical engineering. The project was closely identified with Apel, whose intellectual brilliance marked him, and the project, out for success. But reality got in the way of the targets. Reparations extracted by the Soviets had bled the country of its capacity to rebuild and maintain the infrastructure necessary to support the East German government's economic aspirations. Cut off by international political rivalries from western and world markets, the nation continued to be dependent on deliveries of vital raw materials from the
28:
999:, in the early hours of the morning technicians and engineers from the rocket project were visited by Soviet officers, each accompanied by a translator. A brief instruction was read out: "By order of the Soviet Military Administration you must work for five years in the Soviet Union. You can take your wife and family with you, and as many of your personal effects as you wish ...". Till now Apel's working life had involved living in guest houses or barracks so he did not have many personal effects. Just hours after the order was given Apel and his colleagues were on the train heading east as part of
1165:. At the time there were some who saw Stoph as Walter Ulbricht's heir apparent. A level of rivalry within the Party Central Committee was normal, but between Apel and Stoph there quickly emerged a particularly intense mutual antagonism. To the extent that both men were responsible for delivering a better future for the people there was an inherent overlap between their public profiles. Stoph never missed a chance to highlight a failure to meet planned objectives or to criticise Apel's actions and utterances. Pressure also increased from Moscow where
773:. The launch took place at 16.00 and everything worked perfectly, the rocket attaining a speed of Mach 4.5, a height of 85 kilometres (53 mi), and a horizontal distance of 190 kilometres (120 mi). At the start of 1943 Apel was promoted again, despite his young age becoming head of one of the many development departments at the PeenemĂĽnde army research facility. Shortly after this he mentioned to a group of colleagues what a wretched business it was that the thing should explode in the middle of a city. His boss,
1052:). There was no attempt to integrate the Germans into the Soviet research teams. Stalin never intended that they should remain permanently. The idea was to "milk" their knowledge until their Soviet counterparts had absorbed all the necessary knowledge. That point was reached by the end of 1948, after which the Germans on the island were restricted to "theoretical" research. That suited Apel well enough. He had found a new wife, Christa Metzner, the daughter of a German aircraft engineer from the
1056:, whom he married in Gorodomlya. Information on his first marriage remains in short supply: Christa Apel said later that she believed Erich had married an Austrian woman around 1942, but the first marriage had ended in divorce because Apel's war work meant he was almost always away. It was frequently indicated that during his six years in the Soviet Union Apel became a communist, but in his bones it seems reasonable to conclude that he remained a political agnostic.
1075:. There was no call, in East Germany, for specialist expertise in weapons and rocketry. Other branches of heavy industry remained in place, however. Just four months after getting back, Apel was working as a chief engineer and department head at the East German Ministry for Machinery Construction. Promotion to a technical directorship followed in April 1953. In November 1953 he became a deputy minister in the department, working under
1893:
777:, came to hear of the comment and called him aside, "Apel, you should have joined the medical service: you're too soft for the work here". However, there is no indication that Apel's comment adversely affected his career prospects: the researchers at PeenemĂĽnde saw themselves as an elite team engaged in vital work, and the only realistic alternative career path would have led him back to the military frontline.
1040:
facility in the Soviet occupation zone to a new rocket research facility in the Soviet Union. Secrecy was so complete that ten years later the world still believed that Soviet rocket programme was based on Soviet rocket science. The
Americans had taken away only 400 tonnes of "rocket materials" from the Nordhausen facility. After inspecting the Soviet hoard, Apel joined his colleagues on the
1103:) and "Chaos". It was already apparent that in West Germany free market capitalism was giving rise to far more rapid economic growth than anything happening in East Germany. The lesson to be drawn was that economic planning had to be undertaken competently and in microscopic detail by the government. Political leadership was needed.
976:. But they were nevertheless interested in the factory; and they did make him an offer which, for a range of practical reasons, he was almost certainly in no position to refuse. The Soviets invited him to work with them as chief engineer and representative of the (former) factory management at the Soviet Technical Commission in the
1177:). There was talk of revitalising the market and allowing private trade - subject to a restrictive framework - and of moving society away from a semi-military footing towards a civil one. That had been in 1963, before the fall of Khrushchev. But now the leader was ready for another 180 degree reversal over economic policy.
712:"), and he was thrown out after nine months because of his "negative attitude" to the quasi-military exercises in which the boys were expected to participate. After completing his apprenticeship in 1935 he stayed on at the Neuhaus factory as a toolmaker and designer until 1937. Then, between 1937 and 1939, he attended the
1943:
1185:
On 3 December 1965 Apel was due to sign a new economic agreement with the Soviet Union covering the period 1966–1970. Earlier that year he had traveled to Moscow with Walter
Ulbricht to finalise the terms. Apel was not in favour of signing the agreement that the comrades in Moscow had imposed, but he
991:
and met with Apel, offering to take him to
America after the military defeat which by now everyone saw as inevitable. Von Braun was keen, as far as possible, to keep his full team with him. But his specialist in rocket hydraulics turned him down. Apel did not want to volunteer for further work in the
1047:
Keeping the German workers on an island helped enforce the secrecy, but the German experts nevertheless received wages twice as high as those of their Soviet counterparts. Apel became head of a testing department. Seventy years later a colleague from those times remembered him as "sociable, but also
1039:
had used 717 railway wagons to carry away 5,647 tonnes of machinery, munitions, and partially constructed rockets. By the end of 1946 a further 2,270 railway wagons had transported another 14,256 rocket construction plant, partially constructed rockets, and specialist machinery from the former Nazi
912:
programme. With millions of working age
Germans dead or in prison of war camps, there was a desperate shortage of teachers, and the scheme, implemented with varying levels of effectiveness in the various occupation zones, was designed to select those appropriately educated individuals who were
846:. With the assembly contract they sent Apel, who with effect from January 1945 became technical director of Peterbau GmbH. Apel's resolute determination to avoid politics now seemed to catch up with him, since the new location for rocket assembly was part of the vast underground factory at the
1515:
Zu Beginn der 1960er-Jahre bemĂĽhte sich das SED-Regime um eine
Wirtschaftsreform. Das 'Neue Ökonomische System' von Erich Apel sollte den Betrieben mehr Eigenständigkeit geben, die Fremdbestimmung der Investitionslenkung aufheben. Doch der Sturz von Chruschtschow ließ Apels Reformbestrebungen
1219:
was never in doubt that Apel's death had been a suicide, performed in protest over the Soviet Union's continuing exploitation of East
Germany. Brandt reacted with a cryptic prophesy: "He did not die quietly. We will all hear from him again, from what it was that made him do it."
803:. Breslau was traditionally a centre for railway production and LHW was traditionally a manufacturer of railway locomotives and rolling stock, but during the war its sophisticated engineering capabilities were also being adapted to produce components and sub-assemblies for the
1090:
and was now keen to demonstrate that under Soviet sponsorship it was possible to create in East
Germany a fully functioning socialist state. For that he needed technical experts and talented administrators. Apel was both. An important political ally and sponsor was
1123:. It was therefore by most reckoning a promotion when on 6 February 1958 Apel resigned his ministerial position and accepted a position as head of the newly created Economic Commission of the Central Committee's Politburo. In 1958 he also became a member of the
1460:
1130:
The economic challenges facing East
Germany were already formidable by 1960. The mandate Walter Ulbricht gave to the new Economic Commission was summed up in the mantra which the leader liked to repeat. East Germany should "overtake without catching up"
913:
thought to be not excessively tainted by Nazi involvement, to undergo a rapid "re-education" and set to work educating school-age children. At the same time he both studied and taught, until 31 May 1946, at the
Professional Business Academy in nearby
1276:
Aktuelle
Aufgaben zur Erhöhung der Qualität der Leitung der Volkswirtschaft durch die Verbesserung der komplexen Planung, insbesondere durch die Beachtung der Wechselwirkung zwischen Organisation und Technik und die Ausarbeitung der Pläne „Neue
1210:
There were those who believed Apel had been murdered, in the context of an increasingly intense power struggle between Politburo members as Walter Ulbricht's period in power was seen to be coming to an end. Ulbricht himself ordered the
1198:
wanted a word. There was no reply. Apel, while seated at his desk, had taken his own life. A 7.65 mm bullet from his service pistol lay at his feet. The East German signature on the trade deal with the Soviets would be that of
1110:
membership. Membership was granted in March 1957. Slightly more than one year later, in July 1958, he became a candidate for Central Committee membership. In July 1960 Apel became one of approximately 112 members of the powerful
800:
1470:
1022:
of the Soviet Union in 1941 had forced the Soviets to build up an impressive expertise in deconstructing factories and their equipment, crating them up, and relocating them by train to places beyond the reach of the
929:
1027:. After the war they had taken the opportunity to perfect their skills, crating up surviving German factories and their equipment, and taking them to the Soviet Union by way of war reparations. The 1937
675:
which had once benefited from its position as a staging post on a major trade route, but which had lost out commercially following the construction of a railway line providing a direct link from
1993:
1938:
1723:
1. Plenum der DDR vor 50 Jahren... In den frühen sechziger Jahren gewährte die DDR Film, Literatur und Wirtschaft überraschend viele Freiheiten. Das 11. Plenum Ende 1965 änderte alles
960:
members he was not one of those "volunteering" to sign his party membership over to the new party (though he was accepted as a member of the SED, eleven years later, in 1957).
969:
862:
785:
1194:
and a Moscow loyalist. More importantly, he had been over-ruled by Walter Ulbricht. Early that morning the telephone rang in Apel's office at the ministry in East Berlin.
1827:
Der Tod des DDR-Wirtschaftschefs Erich Apel ist noch immer ein Rätsel. Beging der Reformer 1965 tatsächlich Selbstmord - oder fiel er nicht doch einem Komplott zum Opfer?
765:
3 October 1942 was Apel's twenty-fifth birthday. Coincidentally, he was able to spend the day as a witness to the first launch anywhere in the world of a long-distance
1215:
to investigate Apel's death, though later commentators found the aspects of the investigation "uncharacteristically sloppy". On the other hand, West Berlin's mayor,
1988:
1948:
1283:
Neue Fragen der Planung. Zur Rolle und zu den Aufgaben der zentralen staatlichen Planung im neuen ökonomischen System der Planung und Leitung der Volkswirtschaft
1953:
1718:
792:
and his family. By that time, however, Apel himself was far away, transferred in April 1943 with his own team of assembly specialists and administrators to the
1498:
1998:
1115:. Under the Leninist constitutional structure in place, the Central Committee exercised a far tighter degree of control than government ministers or the
1324:
Fragen der Anwendung des neuen ökonomischen Systems der Planung und Leitung der Volkswirtschaft bei der Vorbereitung und Durchführung der Investitionen
1086:. After years under military occupation which in many ways placed Soviet well-being ahead of German reconstruction, Ulbricht had narrowly survived the
1138:
The "Chemistry Programme" was a seven-year plan, launched in 1958 under the widely communicated motto "Chemistry gives us bread, welfare and beauty" (
953:
857:
found more victims among the slave labourers engaged in constructing the underground factory and in working on the rockets than among the citizens of
781:
1018:
where he was reunited with a large quantity of heavy machinery and equipment that he had last seen in Germany during the closing weeks of the war.
2003:
1968:
1963:
1958:
1200:
1187:
1461:"Der Selbstmord des Chefs der Staatlichen Plankommission und das Ende der Wirtschaftsreformen 1965 in der DDR Warum ging Erich Apel in den Tod?"
1270:
Das Chemieprogramm der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Ein wichtiger Faktor im ökonomischen Wettbewerb zwischen Sozialismus und Kapitalismus
643:
Economics Commission in the Politburo. He was seen as a reformer. However, economic reform rapidly fell off the agenda after October 1964 when
1003:. The mood on the train was dark and apprehensive. The journey took around 14 days. Their ultimate destination was an island in the middle of
1782:
1755:
1592:
949:
1978:
1162:
594:
294:
275:
164:
142:
66:
650:
Apel served as president of the state planning commission between 1963 and 1965. His final project was to negotiate a trade deal with the
944:. The merger was presented as a way to prevent divisions on the political left from opening up opportunities for right wing populists to
1933:
957:
921:
812:
747:
617:
470:
2008:
1983:
1069:
350:
1928:
713:
983:
Soviet interest in the German rocket programme was fully shared by the United States. During the chaotic closing weeks of the war
784:
to destroy it, starting in August 1943. Most of the 733 people killed at PeenemĂĽnde in the first bombing raid, on 17 August, were
780:
During 1943 it became clear that the British knew about the research facility at PeenemĂĽnde. With their US allies they launched a
1112:
1107:
1087:
937:
636:
577:
570:
563:
454:
233:
215:
211:
654:. However, hours before he was due to sign the resulting agreement on behalf of the East German government, he killed himself.
47:
42:
27:
1373:
1301:
881:
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collapsed militarily and politically during the first part of 1945, Apel succeeded in getting back to his home village of
861:, the intended target of the finished rockets. Even if Apel had nothing to do with setting up and running the vast deadly
706:
youth organisation. However, it was found that the sixteen year old disrupted the "mind-numbingly dull drill exercises" ("
1883:
1191:
1973:
952:. In reality it never took effect except in the Soviet zone, where it received sustained practical backing from the
683:. Apel's father was a mechanical engineer: his mother worked in the garments industry. He attended school in nearby
639:
official. During the later 1950s, he was increasingly involved in economic policy, serving from 1958 as head of the
1072:
980:
quarter of Nordhausen (which had also ended up in the Soviet zone), adjacent to the vast underground rocket plant.
933:
1050:""Er war gesellig, aber auch ein bisschen distanziert. Nicht so proletenhaft, immer auch ein bisschen 'Der Chef'"
819:. On 1 April 1944, at the request of the LHW management, Apel was released from his employment contract with the
1374:"Apel, Erich Hans * 3.10.1917, †3.12.1965 Sekretär des ZK der SED, Vorsitzender der Staatlichen Plankommission"
1248:
1235:
968:
On 1 June 1946 Apel was "picked up" by the Soviet authorities. They showed no interest in his association with
850:
695:
542:
1369:
1310:Ökonomische Gesetze des Sozialismus und neues ökonomisches System der Planung und Leitung der Volkswirtschaft
956:. The political development was not one for which Apel could muster much enthusiasm, and in common with many
1015:
1264:
Durch sozialistische Rekonstruktion und Erhöhung der Arbeitsproduktivität zur Erfüllung des Siebenjahrplans
1918:
1065:
996:
905:
889:
1747:
The Technical Intelligentsia and the East German Elite: Legitimacy and Social Change in Mature Communism
1000:
988:
843:
629:
1856:
1923:
1913:
1019:
1944:
Candidate members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
1897:
1402:
914:
793:
688:
1792:
1602:
1222:"Er ist nicht schweigend gestorben. Wir alle werden noch von ihm hören, von dem, was ihn bewegte"
1204:
1095:. After his six years in the Soviet Union, Apel (like Selbmann), was a convinced proponent of a "
900:
into four military occupation zones. After the Americans had withdrawn to their agreed positions
885:
823:. He was now employed directly as chief engineer and assistant to the technical director at LHW.
740:
703:
692:
135:
108:
1053:
1778:
1751:
1745:
1699:
1687:
1675:
1663:
1588:
1166:
1041:
1032:
984:
755:
672:
644:
1772:
1582:
1502:
1465:
1295:
893:
831:
613:
268:
815:
had their effect through 1943 and 1944, the LHW plant became the assembly location for the
754:
on Germany's northern coast. The head of the facility was the charismatic rocketry expert,
1804:
1625:
1614:
1242:
1170:
1096:
1083:
945:
873:. Like millions of his compatriots he was determined to make a clean break with the past.
546:
241:
1380:. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin & Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Berlin
884:, formally, in May 1945. The entire southern region of Germany had been liberated by the
1154:
973:
847:
412:
303:
256:
175:
77:
1822:
1431:
1203:. News of Apel's death was held back until after the Soviet signatory, Trade Minister
865:, as the engineer responsible for the rockets he was naturally associated with it. As
1907:
1092:
1007:
in a sparsely inhabited marshy region some 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwest of
839:
751:
728:
Directly after receiving his degree, in September 1939 Apel was conscripted into the
416:
904:
was included in the middle portion of Germany that would now be administered as the
1643:
1216:
1143:
1076:
1004:
897:
866:
853:. Conditions were so dreadful that at least one commentator has suggested that the
789:
774:
737:
651:
640:
633:
625:
621:
908:. Initially Apel worked on the local farms. On 15 January 1946 he enrolled on the
807:, which government propaganda was by now identifying as the "Vergeltungswaffe 2" (
1830:
1436:
1195:
1158:
1124:
1116:
1106:
In June 1954, already a junior government minister, Apel became a candidate for
1035:. They had also applied their skill to the rocket facility in the mountain. The
1028:
977:
443:
337:
854:
835:
816:
804:
770:
759:
699:
123:
1024:
901:
870:
820:
744:
729:
684:
680:
668:
421:
408:
909:
1864:
1147:
1036:
827:
691:, but left school in 1932 in order to embark on an apprenticeship at the
920:
In January 1946 Apel joined a political party, choosing the centre-left
1642:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. JĂĽrgen Albrecht (compiler-publisher) (3 December 2015).
1578:
797:
717:
676:
425:
1127:, in which capacity he chaired the Parliamentary Economic Committee.
1008:
858:
766:
762:, and regarded by colleagues as a dedicated engineer, body and soul.
1048:
a little distant. Not so proletarian, and always a bit 'the boss'" (
1212:
1146:, and the partnership with the Soviets, even at the height of the
733:
628:, where he had forcibly worked for rocketry development under the
1584:
Letzter Auszweg Makarow: Der Tod Erich Apels am 3. Dezember 1965
732:, becoming a member of Infantry Reserve Battalion 451, based in
1082:
He owed his rapid advancement in the new state to its leader,
1403:"Erich Apel, deutscher Wirtschaftspolitiker; SED; Dr. oec"
1499:"DDR-Wirtschaftsreformer Erich Apel nahm sich das Leben"
1175:"Wir brauchen ein Primat der Ă–konomie ĂĽber die Politik!"
743:. However, on 20 December 1939 Apel was ordered to the
1881:
1750:. University of California Press. pp. 247–2250.
1426:
1424:
1422:
1420:
1300:
Wissenschaftliche Führungstätigkeit – neue Rolle der
698:
in toolmaking and mechanical engineering. The ruling
1317:
Planmässige Wirtschaftsführung und ökonomische Hebel
720:, emerging with a degree in mechanical engineering.
702:
was popular in the region and in 1935 he joined the
538:
530:
510:
502:
479:
464:
450:
433:
391:
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262:
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232:
208:
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162:
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129:
117:
86:
64:
41:
18:
1994:Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold
1572:
1570:
1568:
1566:
1564:
1562:
1560:
1558:
1556:
1554:
1552:
1550:
1548:
1546:
1544:
1397:
1395:
612:(3 October 1917 – 3 December 1965) worked during
1816:
1814:
1777:. Univ of North Carolina Press. pp. 57–60.
1542:
1540:
1538:
1536:
1534:
1532:
1530:
1528:
1526:
1524:
1014:Before crossing to the island Apel was taken to
838:production to a firm called "Peterbau GmbH" in
811:/ V-2). As the continuing bombing raids at the
1939:Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians
8:
1363:
1099:". The choice was one between "Rationalty" (
940:"Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands"
707:
1850:
1848:
1712:
1710:
1708:
1492:
1490:
1488:
1361:
1359:
1357:
1355:
1353:
1351:
1349:
1347:
1345:
1343:
1140:"Chemie gibt Brot, Wohlstand und Schönheit"
1068:had been relaunched in October 1949 as the
1637:
1635:
1289:Aktuelle Fragen der ökonomischen Forschung
788:, but the dead also included Apel's boss,
60:12 January 1963 – 3 December 1965
26:
15:
1861:Lag Erich Apel mit dem Kreml im Konflikt?
1073:German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
924:"Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands"
896:a partition of the western two thirds of
288:15 April 1955 – 15 February 1958
1888:
1339:
590:
559:
100:
1989:German expatriates in the Soviet Union
1949:Deputy prime ministers of East Germany
1800:
1790:
1725:. Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH, Berlin
1621:
1610:
1600:
1587:. Jaron Verlag GmbH. pp. 77–105.
1031:turned up in 1947 as the Soviet built
157:Serving with Gerhard GrĂĽneberg
155:4 July 1962 – 12 January 1963
1644:"Erich Apel .... Wer war Erich Apel?"
972:at the underground rocket factory at
7:
1954:Government ministers of East Germany
1771:Jeffrey Kopstein (9 November 2000).
228:16 July 1958 – 28 June 1962
1405:. Munzinger-Archiv GmbH, Ravensburg
1459:Rainer Karlsch (2 December 1995).
1064:Apel returned on 2 June 1952. The
564:Politburo of the Central Committee
14:
1999:Recipients of the Banner of Labor
1774:A conservative shift: Apel's fall
1717:Gunnar Decker (9 December 2015).
1169:fell from power in October 1964.
1891:
1516:scheitern – und ihn verzweifeln.
821:Army High Command Weapons Agency
769:, the so-called (at this stage)
209:Secretary for the Economy of the
1855:Rene Bayer (10 December 1965).
1821:Klaus Wiegrefe (6 March 2000).
1207:had left town, later that day.
995:On 22 October 1946, across the
813:PeenemĂĽnde Army Research Center
618:PeenemĂĽnde Army Research Center
492:
2004:Suicides by firearm in Germany
1969:20th-century German economists
1964:Members of the 4th Volkskammer
1959:Members of the 3rd Volkskammer
1719:"Das Ende des Reformprozesses"
798:Breslau (as Wrocław was known)
556:Central institution membership
276:Minister for Heavy Engineering
1:
1161:took over as Chairman of the
928:. Four months later, the SPD
212:Central Committee Secretariat
1581:(co-author) (31 May 2017).
863:forced labour infrastructure
667:Erich Hans Apel was born in
641:German Democratic Republic's
624:. After his return from the
616:as a rocket engineer at the
575:1958–1960: Candidate member,
561:1961–1965: Candidate member,
1979:German mechanical engineers
1213:Ministry for State Security
1133:"ĂĽberholen ohne einzuholen"
782:succession of bombing raids
647:fell from power in Moscow.
592:1963–1965: Deputy Chairman,
353: – 3 December 1965
2025:
1934:People from Saxe-Meiningen
1857:"Der Tod des Technokraten"
1060:German Democratic Republic
143:Minister without portfolio
1744:Thomas A. Baylis (1974).
1192:People's Economic Council
1016:Podlipki (today Korolyov)
922:Social Democratic Party (
794:Linke-Hofmann-Werke (LHW)
632:until 1952, he became an
603:
552:
382:
343:
281:
221:
148:
53:
48:State Planning Commission
37:
25:
2009:Suicides in East Germany
1984:Engineers from Thuringia
1577:Klaus Behling (author);
1257:Publications (selection)
1249:Patriotic Order of Merit
1236:Patriotic Order of Merit
964:Work in the Soviet Union
543:Patriotic Order of Merit
1378:Wer war wer in der DDR?
1113:Party Central Committee
954:military administration
938:Socialist Unity Party (
709:der stumpfsinnige Drill
568:1960–1965: Full member,
471:Social Democratic Party
1066:Soviet occupation zone
997:Soviet occupation zone
948:as had happened after
906:Soviet occupation zone
877:Soviet occupation zone
832:coming home to Germany
809:"Retribution weapon 2"
708:
671:, a small town in the
1929:People from Föritztal
1370:Helmut MĂĽller-Enbergs
1117:National Parliament (
1001:Operation Osoaviakhim
834:. LHW now outsourced
630:Operation Osoaviakhim
455:Socialist Unity Party
364:multi-member district
216:Socialist Unity Party
1497:Wolf-Sören Treusch.
1322:with GĂĽnter Mittag:
1315:with GĂĽnter Mittag:
1308:with GĂĽnter Mittag:
1186:had been opposed by
1163:Council of Ministers
1054:Arado aircraft plant
1042:Island of Gorodomlya
595:Council of Ministers
534:his apparent suicide
191:Position established
167:Council of Ministers
69:Council of Ministers
1020:The German invasion
826:By the end of 1944
736:. Around this time
714:Engineering Academy
328:Gerhard Zimmermann
1974:Marxian economists
1823:"Wohin fĂĽhrt das?"
1613:has generic name (
1440:. 15 December 1965
1228:Awards and honours
1205:Nikolai Patolichev
1190:, Chairman of the
992:weapons industry.
886:United States Army
851:concentration camp
704:Deutsches Jungvolk
587:Other offices held
295:Minister-President
203:Position abolished
1784:978-0-8078-6259-9
1757:978-0-520-02395-6
1700:Neues Deutschland
1688:Neues Deutschland
1676:Neues Deutschland
1664:Neues Deutschland
1594:978-3-95552-236-0
1167:Nikita Khrushchev
985:Wernher von Braun
890:victorious powers
756:Wernher von Braun
748:research facility
696:porcelain factory
673:Franconian Forest
645:Nikita Khrushchev
607:
606:
578:Central Committee
571:Central Committee
2016:
1896:
1895:
1894:
1887:
1877:
1876:
1874:
1872:
1852:
1843:
1842:
1840:
1838:
1818:
1809:
1808:
1802:
1798:
1796:
1788:
1768:
1762:
1761:
1741:
1735:
1734:
1732:
1730:
1714:
1703:
1697:
1691:
1685:
1679:
1673:
1667:
1666:, 20 March 1958.
1661:
1655:
1654:
1652:
1650:
1639:
1630:
1629:
1623:
1618:
1612:
1608:
1606:
1598:
1574:
1519:
1518:
1512:
1510:
1503:Deutschlandradio
1494:
1483:
1482:
1480:
1478:
1473:on 12 April 2016
1469:. Archived from
1466:Berliner Zeitung
1456:
1450:
1449:
1447:
1445:
1428:
1415:
1414:
1412:
1410:
1399:
1390:
1389:
1387:
1385:
1365:
1070:Soviet sponsored
987:had traveled to
936:to form the new
786:forced labourers
745:Weapons Agency's
711:
496:
494:
475:
460:
440:
429:
405:
403:
387:Personal details
378:
372:
360:
351:16 November 1958
348:
331:
325:
315:
297:
286:
265:
253:
226:
199:
187:
169:
153:
132:
120:
89:
71:
58:
30:
16:
2024:
2023:
2019:
2018:
2017:
2015:
2014:
2013:
1904:
1903:
1902:
1892:
1890:
1882:
1880:
1870:
1868:
1854:
1853:
1846:
1836:
1834:
1820:
1819:
1812:
1799:
1789:
1785:
1770:
1769:
1765:
1758:
1743:
1742:
1738:
1728:
1726:
1716:
1715:
1706:
1698:
1694:
1686:
1682:
1678:, 17. July 1958
1674:
1670:
1662:
1658:
1648:
1646:
1641:
1640:
1633:
1620:
1609:
1599:
1595:
1576:
1575:
1522:
1508:
1506:
1496:
1495:
1486:
1476:
1474:
1458:
1457:
1453:
1443:
1441:
1432:"SchuĂź im BĂĽro"
1430:
1429:
1418:
1408:
1406:
1401:
1400:
1393:
1383:
1381:
1368:Monika Kaiser;
1367:
1366:
1341:
1337:
1331:
1329:
1259:
1254:
1243:Banner of Labor
1230:
1183:
1171:Leonid Brezhnev
1097:Planned economy
1084:Walter Ulbricht
1062:
966:
934:Communist Party
879:
726:
665:
660:
599:
593:
589:
588:
583:
582:
576:
569:
562:
558:
557:
547:Banner of Labor
545:
526:
498:
495: 1951)
490:
486:
485:Christa Metzner
473:
466:
465:Other political
458:
457:
451:Political party
442:
438:
437:3 December 1965
419:
407:
401:
399:
398:
397:
396:Erich Hans Apel
376:
375:Margitta Stopp
370:
358:
349:
344:
329:
323:
313:
308:
293:
287:
282:
263:
251:
246:
242:Walter Ulbricht
234:First Secretary
227:
222:
210:
197:
185:
180:
166:
165:Chairman of the
163:
158:
154:
149:
136:Gerhard SchĂĽrer
130:
118:
113:
109:Gerhard SchĂĽrer
99:
98:
87:
82:
68:
67:Chairman of the
65:
59:
54:
46:
33:
21:
12:
11:
5:
2022:
2020:
2012:
2011:
2006:
2001:
1996:
1991:
1986:
1981:
1976:
1971:
1966:
1961:
1956:
1951:
1946:
1941:
1936:
1931:
1926:
1921:
1916:
1906:
1905:
1901:
1900:
1879:
1878:
1844:
1810:
1783:
1763:
1756:
1736:
1704:
1702:, 5 July 1961.
1692:
1690:, 24 July 1960
1680:
1668:
1656:
1631:
1611:|author1=
1593:
1520:
1484:
1451:
1416:
1391:
1338:
1336:
1333:
1328:
1327:
1320:
1313:
1306:
1292:
1286:
1280:
1273:
1267:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1252:
1245:
1239:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1201:Alfred Neumann
1188:Alfred Neumann
1182:
1179:
1155:Otto Grotewohl
1093:Fritz Selbmann
1061:
1058:
974:Mittelbau-Dora
965:
962:
910:"New Teachers"
894:already agreed
878:
875:
848:Mittelbau-Dora
725:
722:
664:
661:
659:
656:
605:
604:
601:
600:
598:
597:
586:
585:
584:
581:
580:
573:
566:
555:
554:
553:
550:
549:
540:
536:
535:
532:
528:
527:
525:
524:
521:
518:
514:
512:
508:
507:
504:
500:
499:
488:
484:
483:
481:
477:
476:
468:
462:
461:
452:
448:
447:
446:, East Germany
441:(aged 48)
435:
431:
430:
413:Saxe-Meiningen
406:3 October 1917
395:
393:
389:
388:
384:
383:
380:
379:
373:
367:
366:
361:
355:
354:
341:
340:
336:Member of the
333:
332:
326:
320:
319:
318:Gerhart Ziller
316:
310:
309:
307:
306:
304:Otto Grotewohl
300:
298:
290:
289:
279:
278:
272:
271:
266:
260:
259:
257:Gerhart Ziller
254:
248:
247:
245:
244:
238:
236:
230:
229:
219:
218:
206:
205:
200:
194:
193:
188:
182:
181:
179:
178:
176:Otto Grotewohl
172:
170:
160:
159:
156:
146:
145:
139:
138:
133:
127:
126:
121:
115:
114:
112:
111:
106:
103:
94:
93:
92:
90:
84:
83:
81:
80:
78:Otto Grotewohl
74:
72:
62:
61:
51:
50:
39:
38:
35:
34:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
2021:
2010:
2007:
2005:
2002:
2000:
1997:
1995:
1992:
1990:
1987:
1985:
1982:
1980:
1977:
1975:
1972:
1970:
1967:
1965:
1962:
1960:
1957:
1955:
1952:
1950:
1947:
1945:
1942:
1940:
1937:
1935:
1932:
1930:
1927:
1925:
1922:
1920:
1919:1965 suicides
1917:
1915:
1912:
1911:
1909:
1899:
1889:
1885:
1866:
1862:
1858:
1851:
1849:
1845:
1832:
1828:
1824:
1817:
1815:
1811:
1806:
1794:
1786:
1780:
1776:
1775:
1767:
1764:
1759:
1753:
1749:
1748:
1740:
1737:
1724:
1720:
1713:
1711:
1709:
1705:
1701:
1696:
1693:
1689:
1684:
1681:
1677:
1672:
1669:
1665:
1660:
1657:
1645:
1638:
1636:
1632:
1627:
1616:
1604:
1596:
1590:
1586:
1585:
1580:
1573:
1571:
1569:
1567:
1565:
1563:
1561:
1559:
1557:
1555:
1553:
1551:
1549:
1547:
1545:
1543:
1541:
1539:
1537:
1535:
1533:
1531:
1529:
1527:
1525:
1521:
1517:
1504:
1500:
1493:
1491:
1489:
1485:
1472:
1468:
1467:
1462:
1455:
1452:
1439:
1438:
1433:
1427:
1425:
1423:
1421:
1417:
1404:
1398:
1396:
1392:
1379:
1375:
1371:
1364:
1362:
1360:
1358:
1356:
1354:
1352:
1350:
1348:
1346:
1344:
1340:
1334:
1332:
1326:, Berlin 1965
1325:
1321:
1319:, Berlin 1964
1318:
1314:
1312:, Berlin 1964
1311:
1307:
1305:, Berlin 1964
1304:
1303:
1297:
1296:GĂĽnter Mittag
1293:
1291:, Berlin 1964
1290:
1287:
1285:, Berlin 1963
1284:
1281:
1279:, Berlin 1961
1278:
1274:
1272:, Berlin 1960
1271:
1268:
1266:, Berlin 1959
1265:
1262:
1261:
1256:
1250:
1246:
1244:
1240:
1237:
1233:
1232:
1227:
1225:
1223:
1218:
1214:
1208:
1206:
1202:
1197:
1193:
1189:
1180:
1178:
1176:
1172:
1168:
1164:
1160:
1156:
1151:
1149:
1145:
1141:
1136:
1134:
1128:
1126:
1122:
1120:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1102:
1098:
1094:
1089:
1088:1953 Uprising
1085:
1080:
1078:
1074:
1071:
1067:
1059:
1057:
1055:
1051:
1045:
1043:
1038:
1034:
1033:Moskvitch 400
1030:
1026:
1021:
1017:
1012:
1010:
1006:
1002:
998:
993:
990:
986:
981:
979:
975:
971:
970:forced labour
963:
961:
959:
955:
951:
947:
943:
941:
935:
931:
927:
925:
918:
916:
911:
907:
903:
899:
895:
891:
887:
883:
876:
874:
872:
868:
864:
860:
856:
852:
849:
845:
841:
840:Kleinbodungen
837:
833:
829:
824:
822:
818:
814:
810:
806:
802:
799:
795:
791:
787:
783:
778:
776:
772:
768:
763:
761:
757:
753:
749:
746:
742:
739:
735:
731:
723:
721:
719:
715:
710:
705:
701:
697:
694:
690:
686:
682:
678:
674:
670:
662:
657:
655:
653:
648:
646:
642:
638:
635:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
614:World War Two
611:
602:
596:
591:
579:
574:
572:
567:
565:
560:
551:
548:
544:
541:
537:
533:
529:
522:
520:Civil Servant
519:
516:
515:
513:
509:
505:
501:
482:
478:
472:
469:
463:
456:
453:
449:
445:
436:
432:
427:
423:
418:
417:German Empire
414:
410:
394:
390:
385:
381:
374:
368:
365:
362:
356:
352:
347:
342:
339:
334:
327:
321:
317:
311:
305:
302:
301:
299:
296:
291:
285:
280:
277:
273:
270:
269:GĂĽnter Mittag
267:
261:
258:
255:
249:
243:
240:
239:
237:
235:
231:
225:
220:
217:
213:
207:
204:
201:
195:
192:
189:
183:
177:
174:
173:
171:
168:
161:
152:
147:
144:
140:
137:
134:
128:
125:
122:
116:
110:
107:
105:Karl GrĂĽnheid
104:
102:Rudolf MĂĽller
101:
97:
91:
85:
79:
76:
75:
73:
70:
63:
57:
52:
49:
44:
40:
36:
29:
24:
17:
1898:East Germany
1869:. Retrieved
1860:
1835:. Retrieved
1826:
1773:
1766:
1746:
1739:
1727:. Retrieved
1722:
1695:
1683:
1671:
1659:
1647:. Retrieved
1583:
1514:
1507:. Retrieved
1475:. Retrieved
1471:the original
1464:
1454:
1442:. Retrieved
1435:
1407:. Retrieved
1382:. Retrieved
1377:
1330:
1323:
1316:
1309:
1299:
1288:
1282:
1275:
1269:
1263:
1221:
1217:Willy Brandt
1209:
1184:
1174:
1152:
1144:Soviet Union
1139:
1137:
1132:
1129:
1118:
1105:
1100:
1081:
1077:Heinrich Rau
1063:
1049:
1046:
1013:
1005:Lake Seliger
994:
982:
967:
946:take control
939:
923:
919:
880:
867:Nazi Germany
825:
808:
801:before 1945)
790:Walter Thiel
779:
775:Walter Thiel
764:
738:World War II
727:
666:
652:Soviet Union
649:
626:Soviet Union
622:Nazi Germany
609:
608:
467:affiliations
439:(1965-12-03)
371:Succeeded by
363:
345:
324:Succeeded by
283:
264:Succeeded by
223:
202:
198:Succeeded by
190:
150:
131:Succeeded by
95:
88:First Deputy
55:
32:Apel in 1963
1924:1965 deaths
1914:1917 births
1831:Der Spiegel
1801:|work=
1622:|work=
1437:Der Spiegel
1196:Willi Stoph
1159:Willi Stoph
1125:Volkskammer
1119:Volkskammer
1029:Opel Kadett
1025:German army
978:Bleicherode
898:the country
855:V-2 rockets
817:V-2 rockets
663:Early years
634:East German
459:(1946–1965)
444:East Berlin
359:Preceded by
338:Volkskammer
314:Preceded by
252:Preceded by
186:Preceded by
119:Preceded by
1908:Categories
1871:4 February
1837:3 February
1729:3 February
1649:3 February
1509:1 February
1477:1 February
1444:1 February
1409:1 February
1384:1 February
1335:References
989:Nordhausen
888:, but the
844:Nordhausen
836:V-2 rocket
752:PeenemĂĽnde
716:at nearby
700:Nazi Party
610:Erich Apel
517:Politician
511:Occupation
402:1917-10-03
124:Karl Mewis
20:Erich Apel
1803:ignored (
1793:cite book
1624:ignored (
1603:cite book
1238:in Silver
932:with the
902:Judenbach
882:War ended
871:Judenbach
796:plant in
741:broke out
724:War years
685:Sonneberg
681:Nuremberg
669:Judenbach
531:Known for
422:Thuringia
409:Judenbach
346:In office
284:In office
224:In office
151:In office
56:In office
1867:(online)
1865:Die Zeit
1833:(online)
1277:Technik“
1153:In 1964
1148:Cold War
1101:Vernunft
1037:Red army
915:Steinach
689:Steinach
523:Engineer
503:Children
96:See list
43:Chairman
1579:Jan Eik
1251:in Gold
828:the war
718:Ilmenau
693:Neuhaus
677:Leipzig
497:
489:
426:Germany
214:of the
1884:Portal
1781:
1754:
1591:
1505:, Köln
1009:Moscow
942:/ SED)
930:merged
926:/ SPD)
859:London
805:rocket
767:rocket
539:Awards
480:Spouse
474:(1946)
377:(1966)
330:(1965)
45:of the
1294:with
1247:1964
1241:1963
1234:1959
1181:Death
1108:party
842:near
760:party
734:Gotha
637:party
491:(
487:
420:(now
1873:2018
1839:2018
1805:help
1779:ISBN
1752:ISBN
1731:2018
1651:2018
1626:help
1615:help
1589:ISBN
1511:2018
1479:2018
1446:2018
1411:2018
1386:2018
1157:and
950:1932
892:had
830:was
730:army
687:and
658:Life
434:Died
392:Born
1302:VVB
1224:).
958:SPD
750:at
679:to
620:in
1910::
1863:.
1859:.
1847:^
1829:.
1825:.
1813:^
1797::
1795:}}
1791:{{
1721:.
1707:^
1634:^
1619:;
1607::
1605:}}
1601:{{
1523:^
1513:.
1501:.
1487:^
1463:.
1434:.
1419:^
1394:^
1376:.
1372:.
1342:^
1298::
1079:.
1044:.
1011:.
917:.
771:A4
493:m.
424:,
415:,
411:,
1886::
1875:.
1841:.
1807:)
1787:.
1760:.
1733:.
1653:.
1628:)
1617:)
1597:.
1481:.
1448:.
1413:.
1388:.
1220:(
1131:(
1121:)
506:1
428:)
404:)
400:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
