Lotte Ulbricht
Encyclopedia
Lotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany
official and the second wife of the East German
leader Walter Ulbricht
.
Charlotte Kühn was born the younger of two children in Rixdorf in 1903. Her father was an unskilled labourer and her mother a homeworker in Berlin
. After attending primary and middle school, she worked as an office worker and a shorthand typist. In 1919, she joined the Free Socialist Youth movement, and in 1921, the Communist Party of Germany
. She worked for the Party's central committee
and in 1922-23, was a shorthand typist with the Communist Youth International (KJI) in Moscow
. Kühn was thereafter a member of the central committee of the KPD and the KPD Reichstag
group. In 1926-27 she was archivist
with the KJI
and then until 1931, secretary and shorthand typist at the Soviet Union
's bureau of commerce in Berlin
. In 1931, she emigrated to Moscow with her first husband, Erich Wendt. She became an instructor with the Comintern
and completed a distance learning study at the Academy of Marxism-Leninism and an evening course at Moscow State University
. Following the arrest of her husband in 1936 during the Stalinist purges, she divorced him the same year and was herself investigated. She remained under an official Party reprimand until 1938. From 1939 to 1941, she worked as a compositor at a foreign language printer, and later for the Comintern until 1945.
Kühn's older brother, Bruno, was discovered by the Gestapo
in Amsterdam in 1943, working as a radio operator for the NKVD
. He was executed in 1944, probably in Brussels.
Until 1947, she was a member of the central committee of the Communist Party. After 1947, she was a personal assistant to Walter Ulbricht
, whom she knew from their time in Moscow, where they lived at the Hotel Lux
, along with numerous other German exiles. After her 1953 marriage to Ulbricht, she resigned her job working for him and began studying at the Institute for Social Sciences, which awarded her a Social Sciences Diploma in 1959. In 1959-73, she was employed by the Institute for Marxism-Leninism, where, among other things, she was responsible for editing the speeches and writings of Walter Ulbricht published by the Institute.
In addition, she was a member of the Women's Commission of the Secretariat of the Central Committee and of the Politburo
of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
. She retired in July 1973, a few weeks before the death of her husband. Lotte Ulbricht was much decorated by the state and party leadership of the former East Germany
, including in 1959, 1963 and 1978 the Fatherland Order of Merit, and in 1969 and 1983 the Order of Karl Marx
and 1988 the Grand Star of Friendship of Nations
.
In a rare interview, after German reunification, in 1990, she complained that "Honecker
wasted my husband's inheritance".
On March 27, 2002, she struggled out of her wheelchair and shuffled to a ladder propped against a bookcase. She climbed to look for a book on an upper shelf, crashed to the floor and died that night. She lived at 12 Majakowskiring
Street, Pankow
, Berlin
. She and Walter adopted a Russian girl, Beate Ulbricht (1944-1991).
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...
official and the second wife of the East German
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
leader Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
.
Charlotte Kühn was born the younger of two children in Rixdorf in 1903. Her father was an unskilled labourer and her mother a homeworker 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...
. After attending primary and middle school, she worked as an office worker and a shorthand typist. In 1919, she joined the Free Socialist Youth movement, and in 1921, 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...
. She worked for the Party's central committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
and in 1922-23, was a shorthand typist with the Communist Youth International (KJI) in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Kühn was thereafter a member of the central committee of the KPD and the KPD Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
group. In 1926-27 she was archivist
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
with the KJI
Young Communist International
The Young Communist International was the parallel international youth organization affiliated with the Communist International .-International socialist youth organization before World War I:...
and then until 1931, secretary and shorthand typist at 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....
's bureau of commerce 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...
. In 1931, she emigrated to Moscow with her first husband, Erich Wendt. She became an instructor with the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
and completed a distance learning study at the Academy of Marxism-Leninism and an evening course at Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
. Following the arrest of her husband in 1936 during the Stalinist purges, she divorced him the same year and was herself investigated. She remained under an official Party reprimand until 1938. From 1939 to 1941, she worked as a compositor at a foreign language printer, and later for the Comintern until 1945.
Kühn's older brother, Bruno, was discovered by 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...
in Amsterdam in 1943, working as a radio operator for the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
. He was executed in 1944, probably in Brussels.
Until 1947, she was a member of the central committee of the Communist Party. After 1947, she was a personal assistant to Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
, whom she knew from their time in Moscow, where they lived at the Hotel Lux
Hotel Lux
Hotel Lux was a hotel in Moscow that, during the early years of the Soviet Union, housed many leading exiled Communists. During the Nazi era, exiles from all over Europe went there, particularly from Germany. A number of them became leading figures in German politics in the postwar era...
, along with numerous other German exiles. After her 1953 marriage to Ulbricht, she resigned her job working for him and began studying at the Institute for Social Sciences, which awarded her a Social Sciences Diploma in 1959. In 1959-73, she was employed by the Institute for Marxism-Leninism, where, among other things, she was responsible for editing the speeches and writings of Walter Ulbricht published by the Institute.
In addition, she was a member of the Women's Commission of the Secretariat of the Central Committee and of the Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of the Central Committee of 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...
. She retired in July 1973, a few weeks before the death of her husband. Lotte Ulbricht was much decorated by the state and party leadership of the former East Germany
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
, including in 1959, 1963 and 1978 the Fatherland Order of Merit, and in 1969 and 1983 the Order of Karl Marx
Order of Karl Marx
The Order of Karl Marx was the most important order in the German Democratic Republic . Award of the order also included a prize of 20,000 East German marks....
and 1988 the Grand Star of Friendship of Nations
Star of Friendship of Nations
The Star of People's Friendship was an order awarded by the German Democratic Republic .Established 20 August 1959, it was given to individuals of exceptional merit who had contributed to the "understanding and friendship between nations and preservation of peace".The Star of Friendship of Nations...
.
In a rare interview, after German reunification, in 1990, she complained that "Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
wasted my husband's inheritance".
On March 27, 2002, she struggled out of her wheelchair and shuffled to a ladder propped against a bookcase. She climbed to look for a book on an upper shelf, crashed to the floor and died that night. She lived at 12 Majakowskiring
Majakowskiring
The Majakowskiring is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow district of Berlin, Germany, in the Niederschönhausen locality...
Street, Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
, 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...
. She and Walter adopted a Russian girl, Beate Ulbricht (1944-1991).