Hans Rietz

For many years Rietz served as a member of the National parliament ("Volkskammer") and he was also a long-standing deputy chairman of the State Council.

From the start of his apprenticeship Rietz was a member of the Young Communists and of the Metal Workers' Union ("Deutscher Metallarbeiter-Verband" / DMV).

On successful completion of the apprenticeship he remained with IG Farben, working as a machinist at their large Wolfen plant till 1939, apart from a two-year break for mandatory military service.

[3]) War returned in September 1939: Rietz was conscripted initially into the National Labour Service ("Reichsarbeitsdienst" / RAD) and later into the army.

He immediately joined the Free [East] German Trade Union Federation ("Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund" / FDGB) and the newly launched Democratic Farmers' Party ("Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands" / DBD).

In March of that year East Germany held its first and, as matters turned out, last free and fair general election.