Jurij Grós (1 January 1931 – 28 December 2019) was an ethnic Sorbian

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

politician who held office before and after

German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...

Biography

Grós was born in

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...

in 1931 and educated at the Sorbian Teacher Training Institute in

Radibor Radibor (German) or Radwor (Upper Sorbian, ) is a municipality in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in Upper Lusatia about 10 km north of Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Ger ...

. He joined the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Mar ...

(SED) in 1949 and worked as a teacher until 1953. He joined the district leadership of the

Free German Youth The Free German Youth (; FDJ) is a youth movement in Germany. Formerly, it was the official youth wing of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. The organization was meant for young adults, both male a ...

(FDJ) and in 1955 became a member of the Federal Executive Board of

Domowina Domowina () is a political independent league of the Sorbian and Wendish people and umbrella organization of Sorbian societies in Lower and Upper Lusatia, Germany. It represents the interests of Sorbian people and is the continual successor of ...

, the state-sponsored association for the Sorbian minority. In 1964, he was appointed First Secretary of the Federal Executive Board, and assumed leadership of the organization upon the retirement of its long-time Chairman,

Kurt Krjeńc Kurt Krjeńc (7 July 1907 – 28 November 1978) was an East German communist politician who served as Chairman of Domowina from 1951 to 1973. Biography Krjeńc was born in Malschwitz near Bautzen in 1907 to an ethnic Sorbian working-class m ...

in 1973. He was elected to the Central Council of the FDJ in 1959 and remained in office until 1971. In the

1986 East German general election The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal ent ...

, Grós was elected to the

Volkskammer The Volkskammer (, "People's Chamber") was the supreme power organ of East Germany. It was the only branch of government in the state, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs were subservient to it. The Volkskammer was initia ...

. In the wake of the

Peaceful Revolution The Peaceful Revolution () – also, in German called ' (, "the turning point") – was one of the peaceful revolutions of 1989 at the peak of the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the late 1980s. A process of sociopolitical change that led to, am ...

, he resigned his position in

, but was re-elected to the executive board again in 1993. From 1994 to 1998, he chaired the Bautzen District association of the PDS (the successor party of the SED) and represented the PDS (later The Left) in the Bautzen District Council.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gros, Jurij 1931 births 2019 deaths Sorbian people People from Bautzen Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians Members of the 9th Volkskammer Members of the 10th Volkskammer