Ernst Goldenbaum

Ernst Goldenbaum
Goldenbaum and members of the Volkspolizei near the Berlin Wall, 1961
Chairman of the Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany
In office 1948–1982
Preceded by	office established
Succeeded by	Ernst Mecklenburg
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (East Germany)
In office 1949–1950
Preceded by	office established
Succeeded by	Paul Scholz
Member of the Volkskammer
In office 1949–1990
Mayor of Parchim
In office 1945–1945
Preceded by	Rudolf Prestien
Succeeded by	Otto Schmidt
Member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
In office 1924–1932
Personal details
Born	(1898-12-15)December 15, 1898 Parchim, German Empire
Died	March 13, 1990(1990-03-13) (aged 91) East Berlin, German Democratic Republic
Political party	Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (1948-) Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1946-1948) Communist Party of Germany (1920-1946) Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (1919-1920)
Spouse(s)	Käte Goldenbaum Margarete Goldenbaum (1925-1951)
Children	Klaus Goldenbaum Ursula Goldenbaum
Awards	Order of Karl Marx (1973) Star of People's Friendship (1969) Hero of Labour (1968) Patriotic Order of Merit, honor clasp (1965) Banner of Labor (1964) Medal for Fighters Against Fascism (1959) Patriotic Order of Merit, in gold (1958) Patriotic Order of Merit, in silver (1955) German Peace Medal (1955)
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire
Branch/service	Imperial German Army
Years of service	1917-1918
Unit	89th Grenadier Regiment
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front (WIA)

Ernst Goldenbaum (15 December 1898, Parchim – 13 March 1990, Berlin) was a German politician who served as the chairman of the Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany from 1948 to 1982.

Biography

Goldenbaum was born in Parchim. During World War I he served in the military and he participated in the German November Revolution. In 1919 he joined the left-wing USPD and a few years later the Communist Party of Germany.

From 1923 to 1925 he was a member of the city council of Parchim and from 1924 to 1932 he was a member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. From 1932 to 1933 he was the editor of Volkswacht, a communist newspaper. After the Nazis seized power he became a farmer and a member of the German resistance.

In 1944 he was arrested and he spent the last year of the war in concentration camp Neuengamme. In 1945, he was one of very few who survived the sinking of the SS Cap Arcona which claimed over 4000 lives.

After the war he joined the Socialist Unity Party (SED), but in 1948 he co-founded the communist-sponsored Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (DBD). The DBD was a close ally of the SED. Until 1982, Goldenbaum was the chairman of the party.

From 1949 to 1990 Goldenbaum was a member of the People's Chamber. From 1949 to 1950 Goldenbaum was East Germany's first Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Goldenbaum supported the SED's collectivisation in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1963 he was the deputy chairman of the People's Chamber. After 1963 he was a member of the Presidium of the People's Chamber.

External links

• Media related to Ernst Goldenbaum at Wikimedia Commons