Otto Schmirgal (15 December 1900 – 24 October 1944) was a German workman, politician, and a resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.
Following the frontier changes mandated by the Treaty of Versailles, the family home became part of Poland.
Surviving family members, comprising eighteen-year-old Schmirgal, his mother and four younger siblings, were obliged to flee to the west, ending up in Reppen.
He moved around in search of work, but because of his trade union activities he lost jobs with two firms, the first in Küstrin and in the second Thüringen.
In January 1933 the NSDAP (Nazi Party) took power and lost little time in switching to one-party government in Germany.