In 1923, he joined the Communist Youth League of Germany (Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands; KJVD) and the Workers' Sporting Association (Arbeitersportverein).
In February 1933, not long after the Nazis seized power, he got a reprimand from the local district for his political activities.
The lay assessor's court (Schöffengericht) in that town sentenced him to three months' imprisonment for insulting a mayor.
The Superior Court (Kammergericht) in Berlin (5th Penal Senate) imposed a four-year labour-prison (Zuchthaus) penalty for conspiracy to commit high-treasonous undertakings.
Only a short time after his release on 10 May 1939, he was once again arrested and taken away to Buchenwald concentration camp, more precisely the Rautalwerk Off-Site Command at Wernigerode.