Johannes Dieckmann
Encyclopedia
Johannes Dieckmann held the office of State President
of East Germany on an acting basis in 1949 and again in 1960.
Dieckmann, the son of a Protestant Minister studied economics and philosophy in Berlin, Giessen, Göttingen and Freiburg. He studied national economy
and philosophy and joined Verein Deutscher Studenten (VDSt), a German Studentenverbindung
. He was recruited to army in 1915 and was severely injured, declared permanently ineligible. Nevertheless, he was later still mobilised to Italian campaign 1917. In the end of November 1918, he joined German People’s Party and supported Gustav Stresemann
’s election campaign.
In March 1919, he became a DVP
party secretary in constituency Weser-Ems, and in 1921 he was sent by Stresemann to Duisburg/Oberhausen constituency (in Lower Saxony
). During Belgian occupation in 1922, he was briefly imprisoned for publishing journal not approved by the occupation authorities. During the Weimar Republic
, Dieckmann held various posts within DVP regional leadership and was a member of Saxon Landtag for DVP from the end of 1929 to February 1933. After Nazi power seizure, Dieckmann lost his office and worked from October 5, 1933 to August 30, 1939 in fuel and oilshale companies. From August 1939 to January 1941 he was mobilised again and participated French campaign; from January 15, 1941 to 1945 he worked in Silesian industrial business. After the failed coup attempt against Hitler, when Johannes Dieckmann’s cousin Wilhelm Dieckmann (1893–1944) was executed for having had connections with the plotters, Johannes Dieckmann was put under cautious surveillance by Gestapo
. After the war, Dieckmann established Sächsisches Tageblatt and led Sächsischer Kohlekontor GmbH.
In October 1945, he was a co-founder of Kulturbund. In 1945, he with his Bundesbruder Hermann Kastner (1886–1956) were some of the founders of Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (later renamed Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands); Dieckmann remained member of party’s central management (Zentralvorstand). From 1946 to 1952 he was a LDPD MP and (chairman of LDPD faction) in Sächsischer Landtag and its Präsidium, a place on which he worked for absorbing his party into Blockparty system
of the GDR. Later, from March 10, 1948 to December 11, 1949 he was minister of justice of the state of Saxony and deputy Ministerpräsident of Saxony. In 1948/49 Dieckmann was a member of the German Economic Commission
(German: Deutsche Wirtschaftskommission or DWK), member of German People’s Council (Volksrat) and its constitution committee. He also acted as the president (chairman) of provisional People’s Chamber and People’s Chamber (Volkskammer), the parliament of the GDR, a place which he held until his death.
As the deputy chairman of the LDPD he was from September 12, 1960 till his death one of the deputies of the Chairman (Vorsitzender) of the Staatsrat of the GDR. From 1950 on, Dieckmann was a member of the Präsidium of the National Front
, which included the official political and social organisations and was effectually controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
.
Nominally a liberal, already in 1947 did Dieckmann actively take part in founding Society for Studying the Culture of the Soviet Union
(‘’Gesellschaft zum Studium der Kultur der Sowjetunion’’; from 1949: Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft
). He became one of its leaders and from 1963 to 1968 was the president of the association. He was the Chairman of Permanent Delegation of the GDR for the "International Conference for peaceful solution to German Question" and Chairman of "Foundation of the Veterans
for People’s Solidarity". As hinted by M.Zirlewagen, he had many times suggested talks for solving the division of Germany
.
Leaders of East Germany
The political leadership of East Germany was in the hands of several offices.Prior the proclamation of an East German state, the Soviets established in 1948 the German Economic Commission as a de facto government in their occupation zone...
of East Germany on an acting basis in 1949 and again in 1960.
Dieckmann, the son of a Protestant Minister studied economics and philosophy in Berlin, Giessen, Göttingen and Freiburg. He studied national economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and philosophy and joined Verein Deutscher Studenten (VDSt), a German Studentenverbindung
Studentenverbindung
A Studentenverbindung is a student corporation in a German-speaking country somewhat comparable to fraternities in the US or Canada, but mostly older and going back to other kinds of...
. He was recruited to army in 1915 and was severely injured, declared permanently ineligible. Nevertheless, he was later still mobilised to Italian campaign 1917. In the end of November 1918, he joined German People’s Party and supported Gustav Stresemann
Gustav Stresemann
was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...
’s election campaign.
In March 1919, he became a DVP
German People's Party
The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
party secretary in constituency Weser-Ems, and in 1921 he was sent by Stresemann to Duisburg/Oberhausen constituency (in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
). During Belgian occupation in 1922, he was briefly imprisoned for publishing journal not approved by the occupation authorities. During the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, Dieckmann held various posts within DVP regional leadership and was a member of Saxon Landtag for DVP from the end of 1929 to February 1933. After Nazi power seizure, Dieckmann lost his office and worked from October 5, 1933 to August 30, 1939 in fuel and oilshale companies. From August 1939 to January 1941 he was mobilised again and participated French campaign; from January 15, 1941 to 1945 he worked in Silesian industrial business. After the failed coup attempt against Hitler, when Johannes Dieckmann’s cousin Wilhelm Dieckmann (1893–1944) was executed for having had connections with the plotters, Johannes Dieckmann was put under cautious surveillance by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. After the war, Dieckmann established Sächsisches Tageblatt and led Sächsischer Kohlekontor GmbH.
In October 1945, he was a co-founder of Kulturbund. In 1945, he with his Bundesbruder Hermann Kastner (1886–1956) were some of the founders of Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (later renamed Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands); Dieckmann remained member of party’s central management (Zentralvorstand). From 1946 to 1952 he was a LDPD MP and (chairman of LDPD faction) in Sächsischer Landtag and its Präsidium, a place on which he worked for absorbing his party into Blockparty system
National Front (East Germany)
The National Front of the German Democratic Republic was an alliance of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany...
of the GDR. Later, from March 10, 1948 to December 11, 1949 he was minister of justice of the state of Saxony and deputy Ministerpräsident of Saxony. In 1948/49 Dieckmann was a member of the German Economic Commission
German Economic Commission
The German Economic Commission was the top administrative body in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany prior to the creation of the German Democratic Republic ....
(German: Deutsche Wirtschaftskommission or DWK), member of German People’s Council (Volksrat) and its constitution committee. He also acted as the president (chairman) of provisional People’s Chamber and People’s Chamber (Volkskammer), the parliament of the GDR, a place which he held until his death.
As the deputy chairman of the LDPD he was from September 12, 1960 till his death one of the deputies of the Chairman (Vorsitzender) of the Staatsrat of the GDR. From 1950 on, Dieckmann was a member of the Präsidium of the National Front
National Front (East Germany)
The National Front of the German Democratic Republic was an alliance of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany...
, which included the official political and social organisations and was effectually controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
.
Nominally a liberal, already in 1947 did Dieckmann actively take part in founding Society for Studying the Culture of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(‘’Gesellschaft zum Studium der Kultur der Sowjetunion’’; from 1949: Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft
Society for German-Soviet Friendship
The Society for German-Soviet Friendship was an East German organisation set up to encourage closer co-operation between the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union....
). He became one of its leaders and from 1963 to 1968 was the president of the association. He was the Chairman of Permanent Delegation of the GDR for the "International Conference for peaceful solution to German Question" and Chairman of "Foundation of the Veterans
War Veteran
War Veteran is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in If magazine in March 1955.-Plot summary:The plot concerns an old man who claims to have travelled back in time from a future in which Earth has lost a devastating war to its own Martian and Venusian colonies...
for People’s Solidarity". As hinted by M.Zirlewagen, he had many times suggested talks for solving the division of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
For further reading
- Wandlungen und Wirkungen. Protokoll des Wissenschaftlichen Kolloquiums des Politischen Ausschusses des Zentralvorstandes der LDPD am 17. January 1983 zum Thema "Johannes Dieckmann, sein Verhältnis zur Arbeiterklasse und sein Beitrag zur Bündnispolitik" anläßlich des 90. Geburtstages von Prof. Dr. Dieckmann, Berlin 1983 (Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands: Schriften der LDPD, Bd. 26)
- Hübsch, Reinhard: Dieckmann raus - hängt ihn auf! Der Besuch des DDR-Volkskammerpräsidenten Johannes Dieckmann in Marburg am 13. Januar 1961, Bonn 1995; - DBE, Bd. 2, München 1995, 514
- Dieckmann, Johannes, in: Müller-Enbergs, Helmut (Hrsg.): Wer war wer in der DDR? Ein biographisches Lexikon, Berlin 2000, 151.
- Dieckmann: an unfriendly welcome at Marburg in 1961