Heinrich Rau

Heinrich Rau was a prominent German communist politician and economic planner who played a significant role in the early development of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). A veteran of the Spanish Civil War and a committed member of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), he became a key figure in the postwar Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). Rau held several high-ranking economic positions, most notably as Chairman of the State Planning Commission, where he was instrumental in implementing the First Five-Year Plan and shaping the GDR's centrally planned economy.

Early life and political beginnings

Born in Feuerbach, part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, Rau worked as a metalworker in his youth. He joined the Free Socialist Youth in 1913 and became a member of the Spartacus League during the political upheavals following World War I. In 1919, he officially joined the newly founded Communist Party of Germany. Throughout the Weimar Republic period, he was active in trade union work and the party's organizational apparatus, rising within the ranks of the Red Front Fighters' League. His political activities led to periods of persecution after the Machtergreifung by the Nazi Party.

Role in the Spanish Civil War

Following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Rau volunteered for the International Brigades fighting in support of the Second Spanish Republic. He served with distinction, eventually becoming the commander of the 11th International Brigade, which included the famed Ernst Thälmann Battalion. He participated in major battles such as the Battle of the Ebro and the Battle of Jarama. After the defeat of the Republican forces, he was interned in Camp de Gurs in France before managing to escape and continue his political work in exile.

Postwar political career in East Germany

After the end of World War II, Rau returned to the Soviet occupation zone and became a founding member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, formed from the forced merger of the KPD and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He quickly ascended within the new state's hierarchy. He served as a member of the Volkskammer and held several ministerial posts, including Minister for Planning and later Minister for Machine Construction. He was a close ally of Walter Ulbricht and a member of the SED's powerful Politburo from 1950 until his death.

Economic policies and leadership

Rau's most enduring impact was in the realm of economic policy. As Chairman of the State Planning Commission from 1955, he was the chief architect of the GDR's planned economy. He oversaw the implementation of ambitious industrialization drives and the collectivization of agriculture, modeled heavily on the economic systems of the Soviet Union. His policies emphasized heavy industry and the development of industrial combines, centralizing economic control under the auspices of the Council of Ministers of the GDR. Despite early growth, these policies later contributed to chronic shortages and economic stagnation.

Later life and death

In his final years, Rau served as the first Minister for Foreign and Inner-German Trade, a role focused on managing the GDR's economic relations with both the Eastern Bloc and Western nations. His health deteriorated due to the long-term effects of injuries sustained during the Spanish Civil War and the stresses of his political life. Heinrich Rau died on 23 March 1961 in East Berlin. His state funeral was attended by the highest leadership of the SED, including Walter Ulbricht and Otto Grotewohl. He was interred at the Memorial to the Socialists in the Friedrichsfelde Central Cemetery.

Category:East German politicians Category:Members of the International Brigades Category:German communists