Rudolf Dölling
Rudolf Dölling | |
---|---|
Ambassador of the German Democratic Republic to the Soviet Union | |
In office 1959–1965 | |
Preceded by | Johannes König |
Succeeded by | Horst Bittner |
Personal details | |
Born | 4 November 1902 Roßbach, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
Died | 3 August 1975 (aged 72) East Berlin, East Germany |
Nationality | German |
Political party | SED KSČ KPD |
Spouse | Emmi Effenberger (1906–1990) |
Alma mater | "Voroshilov" Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia |
Occupation | Soldier, politician, ambassador |
Awards | Banner of Labor Order of Karl Marx Patriotic Order of Merit |
Military service | |
Allegiance | East Germany |
Years of service | 1956–1959 |
Rank | Generalmajor |
Rudolf Dölling (4 November 1902 – 3 August 1975) was a politician in Czechoslovakia and in East Germany. He later trained for military service and was made a Major-General in the National People's Army of East Germany.[1]
At the end of August 1959 his appointment was announced as his country's ambassador to the Soviet Union.[2]
Life
Early years
Dölling was born not in Germany, but on the extreme western edge of Bohemia in a little border town called Roßbach (Hranice). Politically it was in the western part of Austria-Hungary. Linguistically the entire region was at the time German-speaking. It was here that he received his schooling, which he completed in 1917, and after which he worked as a general labourer.[citation needed]
In Germany
In 1918 he moved to Germany where he worked as a farm labourer and a wheelwright. There were also periods working as a miner and periods of unemployment.
"Back" in Czechoslovakia
From 1924 till 1929 Dölling worked as a party functionary in the Czechoslovak Communist Party, then a minority political grouping that seldom achieved much above 10% of the vote in national elections under the young republic's new democratic system. In 1932 he married Emmi Effenberger who was working as a trades union official. Between 1933 and 1939 he worked, based in Prague, as secretary to the Profintern / RLU (Red International of Labor Unions)[3] Between 1935 and 1938 or 1939 (sources differ) he sat as a deputy in the Czechoslovak parliament. In 1937/38 he was also responsible for editing the newspaper "Die junge Garde".
Soviet Union
In 1938 he emigrated with his wife Emmi to
Between 1943 and 1944 he was teaching in the Anti-Faschist classes (Antifaschistischen Frontschulen) in Prisoner of war Camp No. 165 in Talitsa, towards the centre of the country, and some 220 km (140 miles) to the east of Yekaterinburg. At the same time he was working as an editor and presenter of the "Sudeten German Freedom radio station" (Sudetendeutschen Freiheitssender) transmitting from Moscow.
Back to Czechoslovakia
After the war in Europe ended Dölling returned to Czechoslovakia. Between 1945 and 1946 he worked in Prague with the Communist Party Central Committee. Together with Bruno Köhler he was responsible for
Back in (East) Germany
From the start Dölling was active in the party apparatus of the new
Marching upward
From 1955 to 1957 Rudolf Dölling was a student at the prestigious "Voroshilov" Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia (Военная академия Генерального штаба РККА имени К. Е. Ворошилова) in Moscow, graduating with a degree in Military Sciences. Returning to Berlin, in 1957 Dölling was appointed Deputy Minister for National Defence and Chief of Political Administration for the National People's Army (NVA). On 1 August Major General Dölling was released from the NVA.
In 1958 he was appointed to the central committee of the
Ambassador
Rudolf Dölling's appointment as the German Democratic Republic's ambassador to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was announced in August 1959.[2] He remained in the post till 1965,[5] after which he took on a consultancy role with the East German Foreign Ministry. His successor for the Moscow posting was Horst Bittner.[6]
Recognition
Dölling is one of just a handful of senior members of the East German National People's Army (NVA) to have had an East German regiment named after him.
There is also a "Döllingstraße" ("Dölling Street") in the Leipzig suburb of Paunsdorf.[7]
Awards and honours
- Ernst Moritz Arndt Medal (1957)
- Distinguished Service Medal of the National People's Army
- Banner of Labor (1965)
- Order of Karl Marx (1967)
- Patriotic Order of Merit (bronze, silver, gold and in 1972 "Gold Honour Clasp")
- Combat Order
for services to the People and Fatherland
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3-86153-561-4. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ a b "RUDOLF DÖLLING, 56, General und einer der Stellvertreter von DDR-Verteidigungsminister Stoph, wurde Botschafter der DDR in Moskau". Der Spiegel (on-line). 2 September 1959. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ RLU / RGI (Rote Gewerkschafts-Internationale) / (Красный интернационал профсоюзов — Krasnyi internatsional profsoyuzov)
- Institut für Zeitgeschichte, Munich. p. 326. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ Wolfram Pohl (10 December 1965). "Enger an Moskau gebunden". Die Zeit (on-line). Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ^ Andreas Herbst. "Bittner, Horst * 14.6.1927, † 16.4.2013 Diplomat". Wer war wer in der DDR?. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin & Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Berlin. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "School address as evidence that street name honouring Dölling remains current". Retrieved 12 October 2014.