This list provides an alphabetically ordered overview of the members and candidates of the Political Bureau (Polburo, later Politburo) of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD).
The formation of a political bureau (Polburo) was officially decided at the 7th Party Congress of the KPD (22–26 August 1921) in Jena. However, the KPD Zentrale had already set up a political bureau (Pol-Buro) and an organization bureau (Org-Buro) at the end of September 1920, as can be seen from the annual report to the 5th Party Congress.Hermann Weber (Hrsg.): Der deutsche Kommunismus. Dokumente 1915–1945. 3. Aufl., Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln 1973, S. 251.
On February 28, 1937, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the KPD in Moscow was dissolved and replaced by a four-member secretariat in Paris.Jacques Mayer: Über die Auflösung des KPD-Politbüros im Februar 1937. Ein Arbeitspapier. Humboldt-Universität, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Berlin 2022 (Online; PDF, 399,5 kB).
The representatives of the KJVD in the Politburo were not included here.
Name192019211922192319241925192619271928192919301931193219331934193519361937 NotesAnton Ackermann K K K MMember February to Autumn M M MHeinrich Brandler M* M M MProbably not consistentlyFranz Dahlem K K/M M M M M M M MPhilipp Dengel M M M M MHugo Eberlein M M MGerhart Eisler M M ko ko ko ko koAccording to the handbook article, he was co-opted back into the Politburo after 1933Arthur Ewert M M M M MRuth Fischer M MLeo Flieg K K/M M M M/K K K K K KLexikon, p. 132 f.Wilhelm Florin M M M M M M M M MOttomar Geschke M M MFritz Heckert M M M M M M M M M M M MAnders Handbook: from 1927, but see Lexicon, p. 192 M M M M MEdwin Hoernle M M MMembership is missing in the handbook article and also in the lexicon M M M M MIwan Katz M M M MAccording to the handbook list, but probably 1923/24Wilhelm Koenen M M MAccording to the handbook already in 1921, membership is missing in the handbook articlePaul Levi M* M?Arkadi Maslow M MPaul Merker K K/M M M MMultiple differing data in the sourcesErnst Meyer M* M M M M M MMultiple differing data in the sourcesHeinz Neumann M M M MIn the handbook list already 1928, possibly the PolSekr is meant, but all other sources 1929Helene Overlach K K K KWhy according to the handbook list only until 1932 unclearWilhelm Pieck M M M M M M M MQuote from Handbook article: Member of the PB since November 18, 1926 until its dissolution in March 1937Hermann Remmele M M M M M M M M M MArthur Rosenberg M MJohn Schehr M M M MErnst Schneller M M M M M MAccording to the handbook article, he was back in the Politburo in 1932Werner Scholem M MHermann Schubert M M M M M MFritz Schulte M M M M M M M MWalter Stoecker M MOr 1921 to 1924? M MErnst Thälmann M M M M M M M M M MAugust Thalheimer M* M M MMembership is missing in the handbook articleWalter Ulbricht M M M M M M M MJacob Walcher M M MMembership is missing in the handbook articleHerbert Wehner M M M M M MClara Zetkin M* M M MProbably not consistently according to the lexicon, p. 499: 1921 to 1924
Legend: ko – co-opted, K – Candidate, K/M – Candidate/Member, M – Member, M* – already a member of the KPD Zentrale, M/K – Member/Candidate
Sources Andreas Herbst, Hermann Weber (Hrsg.): Deutsche Kommunisten. Biographisches Handbuch 1918–1945. Dietz, Berlin 2004; 2., überarbeitete und stark erweiterte Auflage 2008, ISBN 978-3-320-02130-6. Institut für Marxismus-Leninismus beim ZK der SED (Hrsg.): Geschichte der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung – Chronik. Teil II: von 1917 bis 1945. Dietz Verlag, Berlin 1966. Institut für Marxismus-Leninismus beim ZK der SED (Hrsg.): Geschichte der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung – Biographisches Lexikon. Dietz Verlag, Berlin 1970. Mitglieder und Kandidaten des Politbüros (Polbüro) der KPD in der Weimarer Republik. In: Hermann Weber: „Weiße Flecken“ in der Geschichte. Die KPD-Opfer der Stalinschen Säuberungen und ihre Rehabilitierung. 2. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage. isp-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1990, ISBN 3-88332-176-1, S. 136–137.
References