Kurt Krjeńc (7 July 1907 – 28 November 1978) was an

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

communist politician who served as Chairman of

Domowina Domowina (Sorbian language, Sorbian: "Home") is a political independent league of the Sorbs, Sorbian and Wendish people and umbrella organization of Sorbian societies in Lusatia, Lower and Upper Lusatia, Germany. It represents the interests of ...

from 1951 to 1973.

Biography

Krjeńc was born in

Malschwitz Malschwitz (German) or Malešecy ( Upper Sorbian) is a municipality in the east of Saxony, Germany. It belongs to the district of Bautzen and lies 6 km northeast of the eponymous city. The municipality is part of the recognized Sorbian set ...

near

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...

in 1907 to an ethnic Sorbian working-class mining family and apprenticed as a porcelain turner. He joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1923 and was arrested and served time in a concentration camp after Adolf Hitler's rise to power as a political prisoner. He did mandatory service in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and was captured by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

in May 1945. In the

Soviet Occupation Zone The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a ...

, he worked as a district secretary for the newly formed Socialist Unity Party. Following the creation of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

, he was elected to the

Volkskammer __NOTOC__ The Volkskammer (, ''People's Chamber'') was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic (colloquially known as East Germany). The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The upper house w ...

, and held a seat in the chamber until his death in 1978. From 1951 to 1973, Krjeńc served as Chairman of

, a state-sponsored association for ethnic Sorbs which was a constituent organization of the National Front. Following his resignation due to health reasons, the title of Chairman of Domowina was formally abolished, and his successors instead used the title ''Secretary of the Federal Executive Board''.

References

{{reflist 1907 births 1978 deaths Sorbian people People from Bautzen Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians Members of the 1st Volkskammer Members of the 2nd Volkskammer Members of the 3rd Volkskammer Members of the 4th Volkskammer Members of the 5th Volkskammer Members of the 6th Volkskammer Members of the 7th Volkskammer Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold Hohnstein concentration camp survivors