Paul Merker [SEP] country of citizenship
Paul Merker
Paul Merker (born 1 February 1894: died Eichwalde 13 May 1969) was an activist member of Germany's Communist Party (KPD / "Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands") who later became a politician and a top official of East Germany's ruling SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany/"Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands").
Merker featured for several years in the show trial culture of the time, placed under a lengthy investigation process that formally began in 1950, and jailed for eight years as a spy in 1955. Released
Wolfgang Harich, were members, and it was members of this circle who were arrested a week or two later. Faced with a Security Ministry interrogation on 9 January 1957 at which he was asked about the November 1956 meeting, Paul Merker confirmed that at Kleinmachnow Wolfgang Harich had called for the replacement of the country's leader, Walter Ulbricht: in July 1957 Paul Merker appeared as a prosecution witness against Walter Janka. (Defence witnesses were not permitted.) In pretrial discussions Merker was initially unwilling to accept a deal regarding his