Otto Zahn

Otto Zahn (born July 12, 1905 in Mainz , † June 19, 1989 ibid) was a German politician ( SPD ) and journalist . He was mayor and alderman of the city of Mainz.

Life

Zahn attended high school and then studied philosophy , psychology and education . In 1928 he became a primary school teacher . After the " seizure of power " by the National Socialists , he was dismissed in 1933 for political reasons. He was then unemployed until 1936 and was imprisoned several times as a Nazi opponent. In 1936 he became a teacher at the Jewish school in Genoa . In 1938, however, he was arrested there and deported. From 1939 Zahn worked as an unskilled worker and private teacher and was later drafted into military service. He was taken prisoner by the Soviets , from which he returned to Mainz in November 1945.

Then Zahn was again active in school until March 1946 and became editor of the New Mainzer Anzeiger as a representative of the KPD . He also worked for Südwestfunk , Süda and Nouvelles de France . In April 1948 he switched to the SPD and worked from October to December 1948 as editor of the social democratic freedom in Mainz. Then he worked for the Frankfurter Rundschau for Rheinhessen . From 1951, Zahn returned to school. In December 1952 he became honorary head of culture and school for the city of Mainz. From 1957 to 1969 Zahn was mayor and full-time alderman of the city of Mainz. Zahn also acted as district chairman of the workers' welfare for 15 years .

Fonts (selection)

• Mainz schools then and now . Office for Statistics and Elections, Mainz 1954.
• (together with Walter Heist, Red.): The book of new Mainz 1945–1955 . City administration, Mainz 1955.
• 50 years of professional fire brigade Mainz 1906/56 in words and pictures . New well pressure, Mainz 1956.

literature

• Stephan Pieroth: Political parties and the press in Rhineland-Palatinate 1945–1971. A contribution to media history with special consideration of the Mainz SPD newspaper “Die Freiheit” . von Hase & Koehler Verlag, Mainz 1994, ISBN 3-7758-1326-8 , p. 881.
• Klaus J. Becker: The KPD in Rhineland-Palatinate 1946–1956 . von Hase & Koehler, Mainz 2001, ISBN 3-7758-1393-4 , p. 504.