Heinrich Rau (1899–1961) — German communist politician and East German statesman

Political activity and offices

Rau was an elected representative in the Prussian legislature and later held senior administrative posts in the Soviet occupation zone. He served as a member of the Landtag of Prussia from 1928 until the Nazi seizure of power in 1933. During the 1930s he was active with international anti‑fascist forces and is recorded as a leading member of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. After the war he rose to head the German Economic Commission, the key body that organized economic affairs in the Soviet zone and served as a precursor to the East German government.

Early years, exile and wartime

Like many KPD activists, Rau's political life was shaped by the upheavals of the Weimar Republic and the repression that followed in 1933. He spent the Nazi years outside Germany and remained involved with exile networks and anti‑fascist initiatives. His participation in the Spanish conflict placed him among the generation of German leftists who combined parliamentary experience with international militant engagement.

Postwar role and responsibilities

In the Soviet occupation zone after 1945 Rau took on economic and administrative leadership. As chairman of the German Economic Commission he helped coordinate reconstruction, centralize economic planning and prepare institutional structures that later became formal government ministries of the German Democratic Republic. In this capacity he was a central figure in shaping early policy and state organization after World War II.

Significance and legacy

Rau is remembered as a transitional figure who linked interwar communist politics with the construction of a socialist state in East Germany. His career illustrates broader themes of exile, international anti‑fascism and the transfer of activists from prewar parliamentary roles into postwar state building. Historians note his administrative influence while also situating him within the collective leadership that shaped early GDR institutions.

Selected timeline

• 1928–1933: Member of the Prussian Landtag (see Landtag of Prussia).
• 1936–1939: Active with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
• 1945–early 1950s: Headed the German Economic Commission, preparing structures for the GDR government.
• Legacy: Considered a key East German economic and political organizer of the immediate postwar era.

For broader context on the political movements and institutions with which Rau was involved, see resources on the German political left in the Weimar Republic and studies of postwar Soviet zone administration (communist party organization and reconstruction).