John Sieg
Encyclopedia
John Sieg was a railroad worker and journalist
who publicized Nazi atrocities through the underground Communist press and fought against National Socialism in the German Resistance
. He was a key member of the Red Orchestra.
In the beginning of the 1920s, Sieg went to school to become a teaching career, but when his grandfather died in 1923, he had to quit. He returned to the Detroit and met his future wife, Sophie, in 1924, while working as a college intern. He stayed in the United States until February 1928, when Sieg and his wife returned to Germany and he became a freelance author in Berlin
.
He began writing articles for Die Tat
, a newspaper published by Adam Kuckhoff
. After joining the Communist Party of Germany
that same year, he began to write for the arts section of the KPD newspaper, Die Rote Fahne
and he got to know Wilhelm Guddorf
and Martin Weise.
He was arrested by the Sturmabteilung
(storm troopers) in March 1933 and held till June. Upon his release, he began working with the Communist Resistance in the Berlin suburb of Neukölln
, becoming the focal point of several groups. He had close contact with Arvid Harnack
and Kuckhoff. He took part in leafletting campaigns and shared political information. In 1937, he got a job with the Deutsche Reichsbahn
, eventually working as a signaller at the S-Bahn
station at Papestraße. As a railroad employee, Sieg was able to make use of work-related travel and free travel to build connections with other Resistance groups, such as the one organized around Bernhard Bästlein
.
He worked with Herbert Grasse, Otto Grabowski and the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization
to produce the newspaper, Die Innere Front (The Internal Front). He was a core member of the Rote Kapelle, along with Guddorf and Kuckhoff.
He was arrested on October 11, 1942 and was taken to the Gestapo
prison on Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, where he endured intensive interrogations and abuse. The previous spring, he had confided to a friend that if he were ever arrested, he would commit suicide rather than risk betraying friends. On October 15, 1942, following severe mistreatment, he hanged himself in his cell.
Sieg's wife, Sophie was also arrested in October 1942 and without a courtroom procedure, was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp
in 1943. She was liberated by the Red Army
in 1945.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who publicized Nazi atrocities through the underground Communist press and fought against National Socialism in the German Resistance
German Resistance
The German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
. He was a key member of the Red Orchestra.
Biography
John Sieg was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a mechanic. After the death of his father in 1912, he lived with his grandfather in Germany and became a German citizen in 1920.In the beginning of the 1920s, Sieg went to school to become a teaching career, but when his grandfather died in 1923, he had to quit. He returned to the Detroit and met his future wife, Sophie, in 1924, while working as a college intern. He stayed in the United States until February 1928, when Sieg and his wife returned to Germany and he became a freelance author in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
He began writing articles for Die Tat
Die Tat
Die Tat was a monthly publication of politics and culture. It was founded in April 1909 and its publisher was Eugen Diederichs from Jena. From 1939 until 1944 Die Tat was continued as Das XX. Jahrhundert.-1909-1912:...
, a newspaper published by Adam Kuckhoff
Adam Kuckhoff
Adam Kuckhoff was a German writer, journalist, and resistance fighter in the Third Reich....
. After joining the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
that same year, he began to write for the arts section of the KPD newspaper, Die Rote Fahne
Die Rote Fahne
The German newspaper Die Rote Fahne was created on 9 November 1918 by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin, first as organ of the left wing revolutionary Spartakusbund. After the founding of the Communist Party of Germany on 1 January 1919 it became the central publication of the party,...
and he got to know Wilhelm Guddorf
Wilhelm Guddorf
Wilhelm Guddorf was a journalist and resistance fighter against the Third Reich. He was reputedly a member of the Red Orchestra resistance group.- Life :...
and Martin Weise.
He was arrested by the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
(storm troopers) in March 1933 and held till June. Upon his release, he began working with the Communist Resistance in the Berlin suburb of Neukölln
Neukölln
Neukölln is the eighth borough of Berlin, located in the southeastern part of the city and was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city...
, becoming the focal point of several groups. He had close contact with Arvid Harnack
Arvid Harnack
Arvid Harnack was a German jurist, economist, and resistance fighter in Nazi Germany.- Early years :...
and Kuckhoff. He took part in leafletting campaigns and shared political information. In 1937, he got a job with the Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn was the name of the following two companies:* Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German Imperial Railways during the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the immediate aftermath...
, eventually working as a signaller at the S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
station at Papestraße. As a railroad employee, Sieg was able to make use of work-related travel and free travel to build connections with other Resistance groups, such as the one organized around Bernhard Bästlein
Bernhard Bästlein
Bernhard Bästlein was a German Communist and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime. He was imprisoned very shortly after the Nazis seized power in 1933 and was imprisoned almost without interruption until his execution in 1944, by the Nazis...
.
He worked with Herbert Grasse, Otto Grabowski and the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization
Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization
The Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization was an underground German resistance movement acting during the Second World War, that published the illegal magazine, Die Innere Front ....
to produce the newspaper, Die Innere Front (The Internal Front). He was a core member of the Rote Kapelle, along with Guddorf and Kuckhoff.
He was arrested on October 11, 1942 and was taken to the 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...
prison on Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, where he endured intensive interrogations and abuse. The previous spring, he had confided to a friend that if he were ever arrested, he would commit suicide rather than risk betraying friends. On October 15, 1942, following severe mistreatment, he hanged himself in his cell.
Sieg's wife, Sophie was also arrested in October 1942 and without a courtroom procedure, was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
in 1943. She was liberated by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in 1945.
Legacy
A street in an area of new construction on Frankfurter Allee-Süd in Berlin-Lichtenberg was named after John Sieg on June 22, 1972.Further reading
- Hans Coppi, Jr.Hans Coppi, Jr.Dr. Hans Coppi, Jr. is a German historian. His parents, Hilde and Hans Coppi, were active in the German Resistance and were both executed by the Nazis.- Nazi victim at birth :...
, Jürgen Danyel and Johannes Tuchel. Die Rote Kapelle im Widerstand gegen den Nationalsozialismus. Hentric, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-89468-110-1 - Alfred Gottwaldt. Innere Front. Erinnerungen an John Sieg, Reichsbahngehilfe und Widerstandskämpfer. In: Eisenbahn Geschichte, No. 26 (February-March 2008) pp. 57–59
- Regina Griebel, Marlies Coburger, Heinrich Scheel. Erfasst? Das Gestapo-Album zur Roten Kapelle. Audioscop, Halle/S. 1992, ISBN 3-8838-4044-0
- Gert Rosiejka. Die Rote Kapelle. „Landesverrat“ als antifaschistischer Widerstand. ergebnisse, Hamburg 1986, ISBN 3-925622-16-0
- Helmut Schmidt (Ed.) John Sieg. Einer von Millionen spricht. Dietz Verlag Berlin 1989, ISBN 3-320-01392-0
External links
- Museum Lichterberg, Berlin Retrieved April 7, 2010