biography
pronunciation:
[meelkuh]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1907–2000)
|
| biography:
| German politician, born in Berlin, Germany. He joined the Kommunistiche Partei Deutschlands (KPD) in 1925. Accused of murdering two policemen, he fled to Belgium in 1931, fought in the Spanish Civil War in the International Brigade (1936–9), and stayed in the USSR until 1945. After the creation of the German Democratic Republic he was responsible for establishing the secret service (Stasi) which, as minister for state security, he built up as an instrument of suppression under the control of the Sozialistiche Einheitspartei (SED). He served on the Central Commitee (1959–89) and the Politbüro (1976–89). He lost all posts on the collapse of the SED in October 1989 and was dismissed from the party. In December 1989 he was arrested for corruption and abuse of office, and in December 1991 was accused of the murder of the two policemen. In 1993 he was declared unfit to stand trial for his actions as director of the Stasi, but served two years in prison (1993–5) for the murder of the police officers. |
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