People of the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organisation is a list of participants, associates and helpers of the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization, which was one of the largest anti-Nazi resistance organisations that came into existence during World War II in Germany. It was formed in Berlin and had contacts to many other regions that hosted industrial manufacturing. It is therefore also referred to in the literature as the operational leadership of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). However, it was not only communists among the groups of the Saefkov Jacob Bästlein organisation. The 506 people in the resistance organisation included about 200 before 1933 who were KPD members, 22 to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) or to the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (SAP) and around 200 were non-party; one in four was a woman. 160 men and women were unionised before 1933, more than 60 of them in the German Metal Workers' Union (DMV).
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Name Life Employment Position Arrested Fate Notes Hans Ackermann Retired civil servant Argus. Hid Max Krakauer and his wife in tents, helped to procure identity cards and gave shelter to two other Jewish women. Paul Albrecht toolmaker Kärger AG Worked with the toolmaker August Ditzell, labourer Herbert Hirl, and the locksmiths Bruno Lauermann and Otto Rosentreter to resist in the 600 person company. (1897–1944) Managing director of the Arbeiter-Sport-Verlag, KPD member 12 July 1944 and sentenced to death on the 19th Executed on 6 November 1944 in the Brandenburg-Görden penitentiary Courier, participated in the dissemination of the illegal paper, Die Innere Front (The Inner Front). Judith Auer (1905–1944) Stenographer, KPD member Kabelwerk Oberspree Arrested 7 July 1944 Executed in October 1944 in Plötzensee Prison by hanging Worked with Fritz Plön to organise resistance. Eventually managed the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein group finances and acted as a courier while on company business trips.
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Name Life Employment Position Arrested Fate Notes Ellie Bänsch (1909–1974) Seamstress 4 December 1944, sentenced to five years in prison for "aid to preparation for high treason". Survived the war Wife of Willhelm Bänsch. Marth Bänsch (1912-?) Housewife, KVJD member 4 December 1944, sentenced to five years in prison for "aid to preparation for high treason" Sister of Willi Bänsch. (1908–1944) Locksmith, KJVD member Arrested 12 November 1944, sentenced to death in December 1944 Executed in Brandenburg-Görden prison on 11 December 1944 Worked with the KPD to distribute illegal leaflets.Bernhard Bästlein (1894–1944) Precision mechanic, KPD member Arrested 30 May 1944 and sentenced to death on 5 September 1944 for "preparation for high treason, enemy favour and defence decomposition" Executed on 18 September 1944 at Brandenburg-Görden Prison. Organiser of the Bästlein-Jacob-Abshagen Group. (1887–1973) Carpenter, later politician. SAPD member Arrested on 22 August 1933 Sentenced on 5 December 1934 to years in prison by the 2nd senate of the Volksgerichtshof. Organised the exchange of information, the collection of money and food stamps for Nazi opponents and Jewish families. Julius Balkow (1909–1973) Mechanical engineer Siemens Arrested on 20 In July 1944 by the Gestapo Sentenced to 7 years in prison by the Volksgerichtshof "for the reason of favour and preparation for high treason". Liberated by the Red Army in April 1945. He was active there in the group leadership and passed on money and food stamps to Saefkow. Paul Bartsch (1885-?) Lathe operator, KPD member Arrested 9 August 1944 Sentenced to three years in prison for paying Red Aid contributions. Carried out courier services to procure money and food stamps. Walter Basalay Gardener Sentenced to two years in prison (1894–1944) Fitter, engineer. KPD member Nicolaus & Co Arrested 16 July 1944 In September 1944 sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof. Executed in Brandenburg-Görden prison on 6 November 1944. Supplied underground communist newspapers and other publications to resistance members. Reinhard Baum (1902-?) Mechanic and technician FA. Bosse Sentenced to five years in prison. Richard Bergow Plasterer and manager Askania Arrested on 12 July 1944 and sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof Survived pre-trial detention by being liberated on 14 April 1945 One of the three-man leadership team in Askania along with Paul Junius and Paul Hirsch. Ran the 60 member resistance group in the factory. (1903–1943) Warehouse man, KPD member, Soviet parachutist. Siemens Arrested with his wife after returning from the USSR and exposing himself in the Little Moscow garden colony. Shot without trial in Sachsenhausen concentration camp Killed by what the Nazis called Sippenhaft, whereby they were inclined to kill the whole family in revenge whenever a Red Orchestra member was discovered. Shot without trial. Charlotte Bischoff (1901–1944) Stenographer, KPD member Survived the war Participated in the dissemination of the illegal paper, Die Innere Front. SED functionary. Margarete Blank (1901–1945) Leipzig, doctor Arrested 14 July 1944 as a "Bolshevik spy and agent" 6th Senate of the Volksgerichtshof sentenced Blank to death on 15 December 1944. Executed in the courtyard of the court. Looked after the children of arrested anti-fascists. Linked to the resistance group of Alfred Frank in 1935, but not active as a resistance fighter. Enunciated doubts about the final victory and a colleague informed on her, leading to her arrest. Willi Bolien (1907–1944) Plumber, KPD member Hans Windhoff Apparate- und Maschinenfabrik AG Arrested on 13 October 1944 Died on 14 October 1944 by jumping out a window of Gestapo headquarters Established a resistance group at the factory and supplied underground publications and pamphlets to the factory. (1901–1945) Commercial representative for wine company. SPD member Arrested in April 1944. Sentenced to death for "preparation for high treason in difficult form" On the 19 February 1945, he was executed in Brandenburg-Görden Prison Belonged to group around Paul Hinze. Marta Borrack Sentenced to two years in prison for not reporting whereabouts of Paul Hinze. Wife of Max Borrack Wilhelm Bösch (1897–1945) Machine fitter AEG Turbine in Moabit Arrested April 1945 Sentenced to death for "decomposition of military strength" and "preparation for high treason". Executed in Plötzensee Prison on 6 April 1945 Member of resistance group in the AEG factory. Worked with Richard Klotzbücher to undermine factory production. Bruno Braun (1901–1990) Daimler-Benz AG Arrested in September 1944 Remained in custody until the end of the war In a resistance cell with Paul Klimmek and Robert Uhrig. Worked to undermine the factory. (1904–1953) Painter and graphic artist. KPD member First arrested 1934, released 1937. Arrested again in 1944 Survived the war due to the advancing Allied army. Member of the Rote Hilfe group, later the . Created illustrations and drawings for the underground communist KPD newspaper . Richard Budach (1901-?) Lathe operator, KPD member AEG Wildau Sentenced to 4 years in prison Gustav Boguslawski (1895–1971) Locksmith. KPD member FA. Ludwig Loewe Survived the war Distributed leaflets and underground KPD publications to factory workers.
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Name Life Employment Position Arrested Fate Notes Martha von Ceminski (1905–1978) Workshop clerk, KPD member and liaison Askania Arrested 11 July 1944 Sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp and liberated 1 May 1945 by the Red Army Ceminski was a workshop clerk that enabled her to speak to may different groups in the Askania factory. When they began to resist, she established the connection to the KPD. Her fiancé Rudi Grosse was killed by the Gestapo, in a supposed accident. Gerhard Churfürst Painter and draughtsman Alkett Altmärkisches Kettenwerk Supported Jewish communities with money, food and identity papers.
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Name Life Employment Position Arrested Fate Notes (1906–1945) Blacksmith, KPD member, Comintern agent Arrested on 9 July 1944. Sentenced to death in November 1944 by the Volksgerichtshof. Executed at Brandenburg-Görden Prison on 5 February 1944 KPD organiser in Magdeburg. (1909-1945) Metal worker Siemens Dynamo plant, later Argus engine company Arrested in 1938 and sentenced three and half years prison due to "mass propaganda". In 1943, drafted into 999th Light Afrika Division (Wehrmacht) penal battalion. In 1945 was captured and died in Veles under unclear circumstances Worked with an illegal group in the Siemens plant. He collected money and food for the resistance. One of the most active organisers in the group. Werner Deckers (1913–1993) Sales representative and later soldier Arrested on 17 July 1944. Sentenced to 7 years in prison due to his association with the Saefkow group Survived the war when on 27 April 27, 1945 was liberated by the Red Army in the prison in Potsdam. Working-class professional athlete who turned to resistance. Collected money and food for illegal immigrants and distributed leaflets with his sister Helene. Walter Demant (1900–?) KPD member. Instructor at Red Aid before 1933 Argus Motoren where he led interventions to sabotage products Red Aid Communist instructor in agitprop. At Argus worked along with his fellow collaborators to paralyse war production. (1895–1971) Editor, KPD member and secretary Hamburger Volkszeitung, later March to April 1933 in Sonnenburg concentration camp. Survived the war Communist activist who resisted with Georg Dünninghaus, Jakob Schlör, Willi Schönbeck, Albert Almstedt, Otto Marquardt and Karl Baier. Arthur Deutschmann NKFD member Daimler-Benz AG Ran a propaganda campaign along with Bruno Braun. (1897-1945) Fine artist and commercial artist Bruns & Stauff GmbH, United Graphische Kunstanstalten. Arrested on 17 August 1944. As he was Jewish, he was sent straight to a concentration camp 6 January 1945 shot dead in Sachsenhausen concentration camp Worked with the engineer Hugo Kapteina and Hans Lippmann, Arthur Grimmer, Reinhold Hermann. August Ditzell Toolmaker Kärger AG, KPD member Heinz Dohrenberg (1910-?) Appointment clerk Sentenced to 10 years in prison Rudolf Drabinski (1919-?) Industrial clerk, later drafted Müller Gummiwaren AG Helped to improve the lives of Soviet and French forced labourers at Müller Gummiwaren AG. Later drafted into the Wehrmacht, but was then able to provide security to his former resistance cell, as he was in uniform. Arthur Drelse (1896–?) Lathe operator Alfred Drüsener (?–1943) Part of a group of thirty people who resisted Siemens Plania. Part of a group led by Fritz Goll, who collected money, food and food stamps for forced labourers who worked in Siemens. (1918–1944) Toolmaker, KPD Member Alfred Teves Arrested on 10 August 1944 Sentenced to death on 10 October 1944 by the Volksgerichtshof. Executed on 27. November 1944 at Brandenburg-Görden prison He distributed leaflets and collected money and food for those living illegally. Established a cell in the Alfred Teves factory. Worked as the liaison to the organisation. However, when a list of donations he kept in small book was discovered by the Gestapo, he was arrested.
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