Erwin Eckert

Erwin Eckert (born 16 July 1893, in Zaisenhausen/Baden, died 20 December 1972 in the vicinity of Mannheim) was a German Lutheran clergyman and a Social Democratic, later Communist politician.

Erwin Eckert
Born(1893-07-16)July 16, 1893
Zaisenhausen, German Empire
DiedDecember 20, 1972(1972-12-20) (aged 79)
Mannheim, West Germany
Occupation(s)Clergyman, and politician
Political partyGerman Communist Party (1968-)
Communist Party of Germany (1931-1956)
Social Democratic Party of Germany (1911-1931)
Military Service
Allegiance German Empire
Service/branch Imperial German Army
Years of service1914-1918
Battles/warsFirst World War

He founded the Covenant of Religious Socialists of Germany (Bund religiöser Sozialisten Deutschlands) in 1926 and served as its chairman until 1931. Eckert belonged to the left wing of the Social Democratic Party, but switched to the Communist Party of Germany in 1931 and published in October 1931 the brochure »Die Kirche und die KPD. Stadtpfarrer Eckert kommt zur KPD« ("The church and the Communist Party of Germany. Pastor Eckert joins the Communist Party), which made him known across Germany.[1]

During the Nazi regime he was imprisoned twice. In 1945 he became the chairman of the Southern Baden section of the Communist Party (in the French occupation zone). He served in the Provisional Government of Baden and in the second cabinet as the State Commissar for Reconstruction; he also functioned as the chairman of the communist faction in the Baden parliament.[1]

He was a regional MP until 1956, when the Communist Party of Germany was outlawed in the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1960 he was sentenced to 9 months in prison for participation in a peace movement group that was classified as anticonstitutional.[2]

Erwin Eckert was elected as the vice-president of the World Peace Council in 1950.[2]

When the German Communist Party was founded (as a new legal party for West German communists), Eckert joined its ranks.[2]

Bibliography
  • Eckert, Erwin. In: Hermann Weber, Andreas Herbst: Deutsche Kommunisten. Biographisches Handbuch 1918 bis 1945. 2., überarbeitete und stark erweiterte Auflage. Dietz, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-320-02130-6.

See also

References
  1. Biographical data of Erwin Eckert
  2. Erwin Eckert - Landtag Baden-Württemberg
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