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Konrad Naumann was an influential East German politician who rose through the ranks to become a prominent member of the Central Committee and the Politburo.
Despite being relieved of his duties before his death, Naumann played a significant role in East German politics during his career.
In today’s article, we take a look at his life and what actually led to his death.
Konrad Naumann Biography
Konrad Naumann was an East German politician who played a significant role in national politics during his career.
Naumann, who was born in Leipzig on November 25, 1928, began his political career by getting involved in local politics before serving on the Central Committee of the nation’s ruling SED party from 1966 to 1986.
He was viewed as Erich Honecker’s prospective successor as general secretary.
When Naumann was elected as a member of the party’s Politburo in May 1976, it was clear that his political career was on the rise.
Naumann was stripped of his duties while still living after giving a speech in October 1985 that was seen to be insufficiently supportive of the party line. Normally, this post was kept until death.
During the Weimar Republic, Naumann was born in Leipzig to a middle-class family. His mother worked in the apparel manufacturing sector, and his father was a financial auditor.
He attended a number of Leipzig schools before joining the Hitler Youth group “Deutsches Jungvolk” and eventually rising to the position of group commander. He did, however, desert just before the Americans arrived in April or May 1945.
Naumann joined the Communist Party in November 1945, the same month that he turned seventeen, following the conclusion of World War II.
Between January and March 1946, he attended the neighbourhood Party Academy. He then started working full-time for the FDJ’s Leipzig district board.
Naumann transferred his membership to the newly established Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) following the dissolution of the German Communist Party in April 1946.
Up until he was removed from his party duties in early 1948, he held a number of posts within the FDJ, including President in Leipzig. Later, Naumann worked as an assistant mechanic in Saxony’s lignite mines.
Despite his failures, Naumann kept moving up the political ladder. He was appointed the FDJ Secretary for Labour and Social Affairs in Mecklenburg in 1949, and he served in that capacity until 1951.
He collaborated closely with the FDJ’s leader Erich Honecker and was dispatched to Moscow in 1951 to continue his education at the Komsomol Academy. From 1952 through 1957, Naumann worked for the FDJ regional leadership in Frankfurt (Oder) as its First Secretary.
Between 1952 and 1967, Naumann joined the FDJ Central Committee’s Central Council and actively participated in politics as a Committee Secretary rather frequently.
In 1959, he led a group of young East Germans to the Seventh World Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna, where he represented East Germany at international gatherings.
In 1985, Naumann lost his position of authority after delivering a speech that was seen as going against the party line.
Naumann was stripped of his Politburo and party duties when the Soviet Union’s internal unrest increased and the East German leadership encountered difficulties.
Some others conjectured that his forced resignation might have occurred because he may have had access to confidential information concerning the party’s structure.
Naumann worked as a research assistant for the National Archives Administration in Potsdam until he retired in 1990 after leaving that employment.
In April 1991, he moved to Quito, Ecuador, and died a year later. As a result of his ascent through the ranks to become a prominent member of the Central Committee and the Politburo, Konrad Naumann was an important East German politician.
Konrad Naumann Cause Of Death
Konrad Naumann’s cause of death is unknown however he passed away at the age of 62 years.
Konrad Naumann Awards And Honours
- 1964:ย Patriotic Order of Meritย in silver
- 1974:ย Patriotic Order of Meritย in gold
- 1978:ย Order of Karl Marx
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