Franz Goppel

Franz Goppel (born November 26, 1894 in Staßfurt , † January 7, 1975 in Güstrow ) was a German functionary of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and later major of the National People's Army (NVA) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

Life

KPD functionary

Goppel, son of a waiter, learned the trade of locksmith after elementary school , which he practiced until the beginning of the First World War . In 1912 he became a member of the German Metal Workers' Association (DMV) and in 1913 of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In 1914 he was drafted and served for two years. In 1915 he returned, settled in Oberhausen and was employed as a worker at Krupp until 1918 .

In 1917 Goppel moved to the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) and finally to the Spartacus League . In 1917 he became chairman of the USPD local group in Oberhausen. During the November Revolution in 1918, Goppel was chairman of the workers 'and soldiers' council there . In December 1918 he took part as a delegate at the founding party congress of the KPD in Berlin . From 1918 to 1923 he was a member of the district committee of the KPD Rhineland-Westphalia.

In January 1920, the military court in Wesel sentenced Goppel to one and a half years in prison for “preparing for high treason”. He started his sentence in Bochum prison . During the Kapp Putsch he was freed from prison in April 1920 and fled to Moers , which was occupied by Belgian troops. Until June 1924 he lived illegally in various places. In 1924 his sentence was waived due to an amnesty .

In mid-1924 Goppel went to Berlin and was temporarily employed by the Berlin transport company. During the National Socialist era , Goppel supported the KPD's illegal party work several times. From 1936 he worked as a welder.

Officer in the GDR

After the end of the Second World War , Goppel moved to Calau in Brandenburg , joined the police force and was promoted to the criminal councilor that same year . In 1946 he became deputy head of the Brandenburg State Criminal Police Office in Potsdam . In 1950 he moved to the Ministry for State Security (MfS) and was commander of the MfS state authority in Mecklenburg until 1951 .

In 1953 Goppel switched to the Barracked People's Police (KVP) as an officer , which in 1956 became the National People's Army (NVA). From 1956 to 1958 he was deputy head of the Schwerin military district command with the rank of major and then retired.

Honors

• 1974 Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold (GDR)

literature

• Hermann Weber , Andreas Herbst : German communists. Biographical Handbook 1918 to 1945 . 2nd, revised and greatly expanded edition. Dietz, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-320-02130-6 ( online ).