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Here is a group I found many years ago. A lot of papers can trace the official life of this man.

He was an official photographer for the regime, and wroked at the Junge Welt (young world) magazine, the official organ of the FDJ. He participated to various books, still as a photographer.

Of course he was a member of the official Verdand der Deutschen Journalisten. As often he died relatively young, after the GDR collapse, and without descendants.

First stage: a curious letter and an ausweis for the Kamfgruppen der arbeiterklasse, indicating he participated to the securisation of the 13 august events... did he monitored the Berlin wall first days of construction?
Too old for being in the NVA, he was starting a photographer career so cannot enrole in the MdI, so he could support the regime as with a role in the KG in parallel with his civilian life.

Really interesting, he fought in the last period of the Wehrmacht, and earned a 2nd class Iron cross.

What can do a young man in the societ occupation zone in 1945? Fly to the West? Had he true communist, or leftist sympathies? What we can see, with the FDJ ausweis in the former post and his autobiography that he choose to support the new soiet-supported regime.

Then he slowly built a career. First awards, with the KG:

The medal is really known but it is the early variation, in a unique class, hard to find.

A career in the Junge Welt editor:

First major awards in 1973-74:

the Verdienter aktivist and a more common aktivist der sozialistischen arbeit ( prestigious in rank , but it became extremly common under the Honecker years).

Various reconnaissance from the FDJ:

In the eighties his name has been added in the official honor book of the central comitee of the FDJ. Note the original signature of his leader, the Honecker successor, Egon Krenz.

The pinacle of his career with the patriotic merit order in bronze:

His red banner of labor 3rd class, the final 1989 medal...

Some other details: an interest with motor sports:

Those really small badges are damn rare!

Final touch, in the group: a book in which he participated...

Nice group, especially for ID cards and letters, telling us a fascinating personal history.

Really a nice story, thanks Seb! I love these large groups of DDR documents (and medals ), just a little easy to find compared to the soviet counterpart but really interesting as well.

Thank you gentlemen... I'v been lucky. And I don't forget I'm only a depository of those pieces of History...

komsomol - great grouping. I know I am coming in a little late on this thread, however I am a fan of groupings because they tell you so much of a story like your grouping does.

Thank you Ralph, fortunately the seller didn't split the group.

Saving groups from splitting is a common sport on ebay. I bought a small part of another FDJ "Junge welt" journalist some years ago; it was his son who sold apart dozens of medals, badges, papers, drawing sketches, photos...

Same problem with a guy from Wolfen I knew, who scatered all his political life. But always in doezns of ebay sales. This time I took 85% of the group.
I must show you all of this in a specific thread: the guy did his military service in the WR Dzerzinsky, was responsible for the Wolfen chemical kombinat FDJ section.

I have also heard so many stories of DDR groupings being broken up. I had a friend of mine that it took weeks to get a DDR grouping back together on ebay. A lot of time and effort.

komsomol ha scritto:Thank you Ralph, fortunately the seller didn't split the group.

Saving groups from splitting is a common sport on ebay. I bought a small part of another FDJ "Junge welt" journalist some years ago; it was his son who sold apart dozens of medals, badges, papers, drawing sketches, photos...

Same problem with a guy from Wolfen I knew, who scatered all his political life. But always in doezns of ebay sales. This time I took 85% of the group.
I must show you all of this in a specific thread: the guy did his military service in the WR Dzerzinsky, was responsible for the Wolfen chemical kombinat FDJ section.