After the surrender of Nazi Germany, the Saxony districts of Schwarzenberg, Stollberg, and Aue in the Ore Mountains were left unoccupied by Allies for unknown reasons.

This led to anti-fascist groups[specify] forming local governments in those towns and villages, ending with the area's occupation by Soviet troops on June 24, 1945.

Issues the council dealt with included the maintenance of law and order, as well as dealing with scattered German soldiers fleeing west to avoid Soviet imprisonment.

However, their work was appreciated by the Soviets, and some councilmen kept their positions in similar Soviet-initiated councils for several years even after the German Democratic Republic was founded in 1949.

As the novel is based on actual events, the name has become a convenient descriptor, although the book is primarily a work of fiction rather than a historical record.