Paul Scholz (2 October 1902 – 23 June 1995) was a German journalist and politician. He held various cabinet posts in East Germany.

Early life and education

Scholz was born in Braunau on 2 October 1902, and his father was a farmer. Scholz was a primary school graduate and worked at a factory following his graduation.

Career and activities

Scholz was a member of the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...

and arrested several times after the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

came into power. He became a member of the editorial board of the newspaper of the Communist Party in June 1945 and worked for various newspapers until 1950. He was a member of the East German Parliament from 1950, and his tenure lasted until 1981. Scholz joined the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (german: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, ; SED, ), often known in English as the East German Communist Party, was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East German ...

in April 1946 and worked as the editor-in-chief of the newspaper ''Der freie Bauer'' (German: ''The Free Farmer''). Between July 1949 to 1953 he served as the vice chairman of the

Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany The Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (german: Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands, DBD) was an East German political party. The DBD was founded in 1948. It had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer, as part of the National Front. The DBD ...

which was cofounded by him in June 1948. Scholz was appointed minister of agriculture and forestry in 1950 succeeding

Ernst Goldenbaum Ernst Goldenbaum (15 December 1898, Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin – 13 March 1990) was an East German politician. Biography Goldenbaum was born in Parchim. During World War I he served in the military and he participated in the German No ...

in the post and was in office until 1952. He was the head of the coordination and control center for agriculture, forestry and water management between 1952 and 1953. He was the deputy chairman of the East German Council of Ministers between 1952 and 1967. He was again appointed minister of agriculture and forestry in 1953 replacing Hans Reichelt in the post, and Scholz's tenure ended in 1955. He was a member of the Central Executive the Land and Forestry Union from 1957. He became the president of the Friendship Association between East Germany and Arab countries in 1963 and visited the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

in this capacity in 1967. He became the vice president of the Peoples' Friendship League in 1967. He retired from politics and public posts in 1967.

Later life and death

Scholz died in

Zeuthen Zeuthen is a municipality in the district of Dahme-Spreewald in Brandenburg in Germany. Geography It is located near the southeastern Berlin city limits on the western shore of the Dahme River and the Zeuthener See. It borders Eichwalde in the n ...

on 23 June 1995.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scholz, Paul 20th-century German journalists 1902 births 1995 deaths Government ministers of East Germany Communist Party of Germany politicians Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany politicians People from Lwówek Śląski County 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 Members of the 8th Volkskammer Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians