[3] Günther Wyschofsky was born in Bischofswerda, a small industrial town in Upper Lusatia in then southern part of what was then Central Germany, and some 20 km (12 miles) from the frontier with the republic of Czechoslovakia, established slightly more than a decade before his birth.

Wyschofsky was one of thousands of former Communists who now lost no time in signing their membership over to the new Socialist Unity Party (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, SED).

[1] He then worked as an industrial chemist, till 1953 heading up the research laboratories at VEB Plastics in Espenhain which was then at the heart of a vast "brown coal" mining area.

Between 1953 and 1957 he worked for the Party Central Committee at a national level as an instructor and section leader in the Chemistry division of its Basic Industries Department.

In May 1966 Wyschofsky was appointed Minister for the Chemicals Industry in succession to Siegbert Löschau [de] who fell out of favour that year on account of his "inappropriate behaviour".

Günther Wyschofsky was listed as a candidate for membership in January 1963, and after a wait of less than two years was elected one of the approximately 121 members of the Central Committee in December 1964.

On the other hand there were other less prestigious Chemicals plants which were left to deteriorate because the larger high-profile "beacon" facilities absorbed all the available investment capital.