Hugo Launicke (2 February 1909 – 6 June 1975) was a German resistance fighter against the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

régime and later a

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Mar ...

(SED)

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

Life

Launicke was born in Roßleben in the

Province of Saxony The Province of Saxony (), also known as Prussian Saxony (), was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merger of various territories ceded ...

and began by doing building work. In 1923, he joined the Communist Youth League of Germany (''Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands''; KJVD) and the Workers' Sporting Association (''Arbeitersportverein''). In 1927, he became a member of the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (, ; KPD ) was a major Far-left politics, far-left political party in the Weimar Republic during the interwar period, German resistance to Nazism, underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and minor party ...

(KPD). He also became active in the '' Rotfrontkämpferbund''. From 1929 to 1931, he was a member of the KJVD's subdistrict (''Unterbezirk'') leadership in

Naumburg Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...

and Teuchern. Afterwards, in 1930, Launicke was moved to

Wiehe Wiehe () is a town and a former municipality in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Roßleben-Wiehe. It is situated south of Sangerhausen, and north of Weimar. Location Wiehe is lo ...

, and in 1931 he took on the function of a KJVD instructor of the subdistrict leadership in Halle. In February 1933, not long after the Nazis seized power, he got a reprimand from the local district for his political activities. On 9 March 1933, he was arrested. There followed mistreatment and a transfer to the prison in Naumburg. The lay assessor's court (''Schöffengericht'') in that town sentenced him to three months' imprisonment for insulting a mayor. On 17 October 1935 came a new sentencing. The Superior Court (''Kammergericht'') in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

(5th Penal Senate) imposed a four-year labour-prison ('' Zuchthaus'') penalty for conspiracy to commit high-treasonous undertakings. He also had his

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

suspended for five years (this was a common measure in Nazi courts). Only a short time after his release on 10 May 1939, he was once again arrested and taken away to

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Nazi Germany, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (pre-1938 ...

, more precisely the Rautalwerk Off-Site Command at

Wernigerode Wernigerode () is a town in the Harz (district), district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the Wernigerode (district), district of Wernigerode. Its population was 32,181 in 2020. Wernigerode is located southwes ...

. In this camp, he belonged to the illegal prison KPD leadership. In April 1945, he had to take part in a

death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war, other captives, or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinct from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Convention requires tha ...

, which he survived. After the

Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

fell, Launicke became the mayor of Wiehe and KPD district secretary. Later, he took on the same function in the Kölleda district. He thereafter held posts in East Germany's '' Nationale Front'' in the Halle and

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

districts. From 1958 to 1963, he was Chairman of the

Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation The Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation (), consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 in East Germany. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the C ...

in the Magdeburg district. He then took over the leadership of the Antifascist Resistance Fighter Committee in the Magdeburg district. In 1973, he received East Germany's

Patriotic Order of Merit The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

, in

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. After his death, Magdeburg temporarily named a street ''Hugo-Launicke-Straße'' in his honour.

Literature

*''Was Magdeburger Straßennamen erzählen'', ca. 1983, published by the Magdeburg SED city administration, written by Ingelore Buchholz.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Launicke, Hugo 1909 births 1975 deaths People from Roßleben People from the Province of Saxony Communist Party of Germany politicians Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians Rotfrontkämpferbund members Communists in the German Resistance Buchenwald concentration camp survivors Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization People convicted of treason against Nazi Germany

Life

Literature

See also

References