Walter Ulbricht

Walter Ulbricht, the man that had a large impact on the history of the German Democratic Republic.
This video will go through the highlights of his life.
Book used:
Walter Ulbricht: Eine deutsche Biografie - Mario Frank (amzn.to/3LYKF0m)
Credits for photographs and other material shown in the video:
• Willi Stoph, Lotte Ulbricht, and Walter Ulbricht, 9 March 1967- By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-F0309-0201-001 / Kohls, Ulrich / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Ulbricht visiting a collective farm in Trinwillershagen in January 1953 - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-18231-0003 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Als Honecker mit Maschinenpistolen zu Ulbricht fuhr - www.welt.de/ge...
• Lotte Ulbricht - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78024-0025 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Karl Schirdewan - Von Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Wilhelm Zaisser - Von Bundesarchiv, B 285 Bild-04246 / Unbekannt / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Otto Grotewohl - Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-19204-3150 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Founding SED - Von Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Wilhelm Pieck - Von Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Ernst Wollweber - Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-08658-0006 / Rudolph / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Erich Honecker 1976 - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R0518-182 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Erich Honecker 1976 Color - Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R1220-401 / Autor/-in unbekannt / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Walter Ulbricht 1950 - Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-08618-0005 / Sturm, Horst / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Walter Ulbricht in Stalinstadt - Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-19521-0005 / Horst Sturm / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Stalin portrait in Leipzig 1950 - Von Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Anton Ackermann 1950 - Von Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Elli Schmidt - By Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Rudolf Herrnstadt 1952 Sketch - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-15475-0013 / Quaschinsky, Hans-Günter / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• Nikita Khrushchev - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-B0628-0015-035 / Heinz Junge / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, commons.wikime...
• KPD Flag - Von R-41 commonswiki - Own work www.crwflags.co..., CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
• KPD Logo - Von R-41 - Own work, based on following link: CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikime...
• Comintern Logo - By Thespoondragon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikime...

[@stavros_xanthopoulos]

An identical video about Erich Honecker would be a great idea.

[@daddybeagleaz907]

He and Mielke.

[@boink800]

Actually, many videos could be made concerning "Die Männer der ersten Stunde" (The men of the first hour). This group of German expats was brought to Berlin from Moscow in the Summer of 1945 from Moscow with instructions to set up a Socialist (or Communist) government in Germany. Ulbricht was the head of this group.

[@jamesthewineguy]

Agree - seems like they were similar.

[@larsiparsii]

Your prayers have been answered (a month ago)!

[@spogelse]

Imagine being berated by Beria for not being friendly enough...

[@paigemariecody]

CRIMINALLY underrated channel. I'm so excited to watch this once I finish work!

[@prieten49]

Another politician that English speakers might be interested in is Günter Schabowski. Everyone remembers his slipup during the press conference when he prematurely announced a new open travel policy. But he is one of the few Politbüro members who admitted wrongdoing and criticized the policies of the SED. He wrote an autobiographical book titled "Der Absturz" (The Crash). He also wrote a book in collaboration with a West German journalist titled "Wir haben fast alles falsch gemacht" (We did almost everything wrong). His descriptions of top SED officials and life in the Waldsiedlung Wandlitz, the exclusive neighborhood in a forest where top SED officials lived a life of relative luxury, are also interesting.

[@cybersquire]

Thank you for the reference!

[@allansnape416]

I worked in former DDR from 1992 to the end of 1999. I met a lot of people with stories about their lives in the DDR regime. I find your channel fascinating

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

​@@bfc3057kinda, it wasn't pleasant overnight!

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@bfc3057 East and West Germany did fully integrate until well into the mid 90's. It took years for it to recover.

[@iVenge]

The Dutch accent of English is one of the most pleasing non-English accents to listen to.

[@barrysteven5964]

Although I am not a fan of his American pronunciation of 'Moscow'. 🤣

[@tacob0]

I think its the worst accent, and im dutch lol. At least he doesnt have it to badly

[@jemoeder5347]

@@tacob0 That's probably why you think it's the worst. Being Dutch too, I can't stand the accent either, but are Italians or French better? Probably not :P

[@jemoeder5347]

@@barrysteven5964 He might do it that way because it is extremely close to the normal Dutch way of saying it

[@tacob0]

@@jemoeder5347 Italian accents are awesome, french id agree is also horrible, but them talking in english is still better then talking french at least xD

[@ottosaxo]

Ulbricht even tried to produce a GDR passenger plane (Baade 152). It ended in a disaster. If I compare him to his successor, I must admit that Ulbricht understood that initiative and activity are necessary if you want to achieve something. Honecker's creativity ended in the hunter's lodge once his intrigue with Breshnev was done and his portrait grinned from every wall in the GDR.

[@pascalcoole2725]

To bad.... for several technical reasons the Baade 152 never could be a sucsesfull airliner, but it could have made a start for a new sucsesfull brand. After all Germans had shown know that thay how to build aircraft.

[@Flies2FLL]

Do you suspect that Honecker performed felatio on Brezhnev?

[@petebondurant58]

@@Flies2FLL Ja!

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

​@@Flies2FLLI mean they are kissing each other on the lips so it's not a difficult rumor to say...

[@notroll1279]

In 1953, the East German propaganda apparatus produced a heroic portrait movie about Walter Ulbricht, pathetically called "Baumeister des Sozialismus" (Builder of Socialism). After quashing the June 17th uprising, this pic was deemed politically inopportune and disappeared in the archives. I watched it in an East Berlin cinema in the 1990s, a few years after the GDR had shut down. The audience was split: half were older folks from the East, most of whom piously following the praise on their ole' Walter. The other half were younger people enjoying the involuntarily comical moments of the film, bursting out laughing at times. I don't think the younger cinemagoers ever realized how much their laughter pissed off the older ones - what a show!

[@jon123xyz]

Would love to see with English subtitles

[@inigoromon1937]

These videos are an absolut like. German seriousness and reliability. German sense of humour and irony. Great stuff. The GDR was always a weird thing!!

[@stevebbuk9557]

He sounds Dutch to me.

[@ImKinoNichtSabbeln]

Ahem, he is from the _Netherlands_, which explains the short, straight and esp. unpretentious reporting of facts. But he is pronouncing German names nearly perfect. On the other hand, surprisingly, he messes up "socialistic" with "social-democratic". I.e., "SPD" means "Sociall-democratics Party of Germany". The east-german SPD suffered from an enforced enemy-takeover by the communistic KPD when forming the eastern SED, which he reports rather correctly. And there is a _huge_ difference, since e.g. for starters, social democrats don't reach for a one-party dictatorship, but want people to vote freely, etc.. Btw, I'd like to see a video a video on the SED, what happened to it (

[@ipz-DonIgnacio]

These are great. Subscribed. Are you Dutch? Your accent resembles Dutch to me, but your German is very clean.

[@abcdeshole]

This channel is a great dive into GDR history.

[@declinerrexlete197]

Finally a channel whose main purpose is discussing the GDR.

[@efnissien]

Again, a top class documentary.

[@muchavvir]

Fantastic video, man. I'm an Asia who's been living in Berlin for 3+ years now. Your videos give me an unique opportunity to peep into the nuanced history of this country. Keep up the good work! Mach weiter so!

[@adamigo1000]

As a Pole intresed in the history of the Communist Block this channel is a gem. Keep up the good work! BTW I've never thought Walter Ulbricht was so resentful!

[@daddybeagleaz907]

It sounds to me like he had a chip on his shoulder the size of Moscow

[@howardsontz983]

Excellent overview. Thank you.

[@barondemonrepos]

You have done a really interesting and well done documentary. I visited once in East Berlin. It was maybe year 1986. I did stay in West Berlin but I spent one day in East Berlin. Divided Berlin was like a night and day. West was rich, free and lively but East was dull and gray. Restaurant in East Berlin didn´t have any salads and only Selyanka soup was on menu. :) How ever museums and even ruins were interesting in East Berlin. I saw even the famous Congress Palace which was later demolished. I visited again in Berlin 2007. Potsdamer Plats had new, modern buildings, shopping centers etc. 1986 Potsdamer Plats was just an open field, and urban jungle. Berlin is now again a great city. Greetings from Finland.

[@HansBezemer]

By sheer coincidence I happened to see Ulbrichts funeral - as I was visiting East Berlin at the moment. I was 13 y/o at the time and didn't have a clue who the man was - but it was impressive enough to take a couple of snaps. We were there for an entirely different reason, but we just bumped into the funeral procession - somewhere between Friedrichstrasse and Alex if I remember correctly (it's half a century ago, you know).

[@rdallas81]

Awesome.

[@EdMcF1]

'Old men who speak of victory shed light upon their stolen lives, they drive by night and act as if they're moved by unheard music.' The Thin Wall, Ultravox.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

Your videos are absolutely excellent👍

[@brianarbenz1329]

Thank you for such a detailed look at this chapter from history. In the U.S., we tend to think of East Germany in generalities -- a wall, lot of Olympic medals, and that's about all.

[@jeroenstrompf5064]

Such a pleasure to listen to your German pronounciation!

[@displacedyankee7819]

Another excellent video. Dont know how I missed this one

[@KomradZX1989]

I love the longer videos you make. Great work, keeps me coming back!

[@TheHoveHeretic]

So often, history clips go over familiar subject matter. Often they add to my understanding, sometimes in surprising ways. This channel is a perfect delight, as the subject matter and the dramatis personae are at best slightly known to me and always present me with new horizons. Do please remember to hit the 'like' button as a mark of appreciation for Olaf's hard work, as You Tube isn't always kindest to what it regards as "niche" subjects. It's scarey to realise how much of my own life has now passed into history!!

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

What a wonderful addition to the channel ! Thank you ! I’ve been fascinated by Ulbricht , in spite of his dry, very antiseptic image, since seeing such pictures of him as the one with him speaking at a meeting cohosted with Goebbels ! Or standing alongside Stalin for his birthday celebration, in close proximity to Mao, Khrushchev, and Kaganovich !

[@justaroot4315]

Ahh...interesting thanks. I was wondering where FBI's psyop of Silk Road Takedown magically manifested the operative name of Ross Ulbricht. Knew it had a German connect as the hidden Romanov heirs are half German, but now the Ulbricht named rat line in honor of previous comrades makes perfect sense. Not a COIN CID ENCE. Always been a plan.

[@AlexandruBurda]

Another excellent video. Thank you and please, offer us more.

[@atatexan]

Well done. As a young freaky kid loving history and geopolitics in the 1960’s, I followed the two Germanys assiduously. You provided great background material. Bravo.

[@Viper_Gaming555]

I learned that this man is my great great uncle, i want to do research about him so this video helps a lot

[@donallen8414]

Another good anecdote about the voice and saxon dialect of Ulbricht: The later head of the foreign intelligence department of the Stasi was Markus Wolf. He worked as a Berlin radio journalist during the late 1940s, and asked Ulbricht to speak standard German because people from other places than Saxony may not like his talk just because of the dialect. Ulbricht got upset and insisted to talk the way he liked. Markus Wolf was indeed correct 😉

[@joelcrandell700]

Can you do Erick Honecker

[@djackmanson]

This is a very good quality video. Loads of facts, no unnecessary drama, just letting the story speak for itself. Thank you.

[@SuperBuildsInMC]

Colonel Sanders fell off HARD...

[@Spec_tisum]

You sir are a man of good comedic culture.

[@1984isnotamanual]

That schnitzel is finger lickin’ good.

[@McRocket]

Very interesting. I knew little about him. Thank you. ☮

[@oktobre7]

Mercui pour votre travail!

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

I'm very glad to have found this channel!

[@eduardoribeiro383]

Keep up with this quality content. You will grow amongst those interested in real history.

[@daveacbickford]

Another fantastic video mate, I've been waiting for a video like this on Ulbricht 😊😊 keep up the excellent work!

[@DarkbaseTTV]

Amazing work yet again! I'd be interested in videos about the DDR economy, the efficiency deficits of a state run economy and the Kombinate and their functions, including daycare and such

[@TDeibara]

Top content weer. Professioneel gemaakt. Ik kijk uit naar de volgende. Overigens meen ik gelezen te hebben dat Ulbricht zich nogal met het privé-leven van zijn geadopteerde dochter heeft bemoeid. Met de bekende tragische afloop tot gevolg.

[@robertsansone1680]

Very interesting. Thank You

[@E.1981-s7s]

Having lived in MV for a few years, I’m glad to watch your videos explaining the DDR with a honest perspective. Thanks

[@Garcim14]

Would love to see a video on Honecker

[@1man1bike]

Another fascinating video and I thank you for the time and effort you put into this. Outstanding. Bedankt.

[@atestamenttohistory]

Excellent content

[@broderhjalmar]

Beria accusing someone else for not loving his people is absolutely hilarious.

[@grahambuckerfield4640]

Another outstanding bit of history, excellent channel.

[@pauld7106]

Great video

[@stroganoff2917]

Very informing and valuable knowledge thank you.

[@tomw.6511]

I've watched several of your videos and am impressed at how well-documented and well-executed they are. And your German is 100% (I believe you remarked your mother was German in one video). My major was German Studies and I got to see both Germanies up close before and after the Wende.

[@AlbertSpeerPhd]

Good stuff, as always. Thank you for your efforts, I enjoy all your content.

[@john07973]

Good stuff 👍

[@jimgordon1563]

How very well done! This is an excellent overview of this controversial political figure in both the GDR and abroad. I'm looking forward to more videos.

[@KPW2137]

I have to say that for me Ulbricht looked always grey, no charisma, no fire. It does not mean he was dumb or incompetent given how far he climbed in the party but he wasn't exactly a thrilling, charismatic tribune.

[@johnmueter378]

Olaf, thank you for another enlightening and intelligently presented video (and your command of English is excellent!).

[@jackoates6418]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned in another comment but there is a funny, and perhaps illustrative, anecdote about Ulbricht from his time as a Red Army propagandist. After the surrender of what remained of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, the prisoners were formed up on a parade in the ruins. Walter Ulbricht was brought in to give a speech to degrade and harangue the defeated men. Lavrenty Beria, who was there, observed Walter ranting and raving as he bullied his countrymen and in his diaries remarked that he was "the biggest idiot I have ever seen". Source is Anthony Beevor's excellent Stalingrad history.

[@jcollins1305]

Hopefully Beria is rotting deep In hell.

[@AnarchoKid]

"Niemand hat die Absicht eine Mauer zu errichten!" 🤥

[@pascalcoole2725]

Tough subject, verry well researched. For some unknown reason i always was verry interested in what was goin on in the GDR. looking forward to your next video. Dank en beste groet, Pascal.

[@Hongaars1969]

Another informative, detailed and fact based presentation. Thank you

[@jasmorris1286]

Brilliant work mate loved it! Hope there more to come

[@TheRobiRobson]

Thanks for the video. Hopefully you won't mind my question: Are You going to make more Videos about important politicians? Who is on your list?

[@ArmandoDiaz-d1g]

Excellent content. Lots of good information and insights into the GDR.

[@ashleyupshall7641]

Great vid as usual. Thanks.

[@Z20900]

Yet another amazing video, I learned a lot! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[@sandrinowitschM]

I was born in Merseburg and never knew we had the German central archive. The pollution was indeed quite terrible. I developed pseudo croup at least two times as a kid and after reunification they sent us on 14 day long class trips two times a year so we could breath some clean air for a change.

[@halitosis75]

When I lived in Berlin 1989 I took the train to stendahl in East Germany,100km from Berlin. The train was so slow snails 🐌 past the train next to the railway tracks

[@etherospike3936]

In what regards his aspect he was a method actor, implementing a "Imitatio Lenini " !

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

Could you do one of these on Honecker?

[@Veritas419]

Fantastic content once again

[@michaelfischer5800]

23:10 At the time of his 80th birthday (June 1973) Ulbricht is overthrown by Honecker since two years (April 1971). You have to mention that U. in this period is deeply humiliated by his successor. Still in his lifetime his name is extinguished from public facilities, academies, sport stadium and even stamps.

[@mattpbent]

Fantastic presentation

[@glenbeavis]

You tell a great story thank you

[@konstantinoskatsounis2320]

Great - precise - no bull- & informative - bravo

[@jakl2369]

Ulbricht was a monster.

[@decem_sagittae]

Arch-traitor

[@Ticklestein]

08:03

[@roybm3124]

Geweldig kanaal, mooie video weer.

[@EdgyNumber1]

OLAF!! You did it again... more fascinating information about the people of area that has intrigued me, ever since my Uncle told me his stories of when he visited on his Triumph Bonneville motorrad! I recently saw a video by Asianometry about the GDR's disastrous attempt to enter the semiconductor industry. By his account it was pretty brutal to the GDR economy causing a lot of damage. I can't wait to watch your video on Honecker. By the way, would it be possible to see videos on the GDR car industry, including the likes of Wartburg(?). Many thanks!

[@jonathancampbell5231]

Ulbricht didn't flee to the Soviet Union to escape the Nazis; he fled earlier to escape prosecution for his involvement in the police murders.

[@josepetereo2123]

I think was milke Who scapes to Moscow because he kill a two nazis and a police oficiel, in a street fight beteween the political squadrons of kpd vs nsdp.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

@@josepetereo2123 They both fled to Moscow. Mielke and another man shot three police officers, but one of them survivedband could identify the shooters. The murders were done on the orders of two senior Communists, who themselves were encouraged by Ulbrcht. Ten Communist Party members fled to Moscow and a further 15 were arrested in connection to the shooting. The two who ordered the hit were later purged by Stalin, while of those arrested three were executed by the German government and the rest sentenced to hard labour or jail terms. Mielke was eventually prosecuted in 1993, after serving as head of the Stasi amongst other roles, following the collapse of East Germany, while Ulbricht by then was already dead from old age. I guess technically he didn't flee to "Moscow" as he initially fled to Paris and Prague and then spent time in Spain, but he eventually ended up in Moscow by 1937.

[@sebastienc2846]

Thanks for the very instructive document.

[@ericdanielski4802]

Nice video.

[@jean6872]

*An objective and informative video.*

[@Ah01]

Enjoyable narrative, as always. 🏆

[@maximillianafrancine1451]

As an introvert and nerd myself, yes we find boring stuff fascinating. So he was one of the occupants of the famous Hotel Lux. Wow.

[@RayyMusik]

Absolutely brilliant in every respect, even German pronunciation. 👏 Beria: “Ulbricht doesn‘t … love his people“. Well, the people didn‘t exactly love Beria either.

[@timtyoutube87]

Dank je wel voor je geweldig filmpje. En ik kijk uit naar beeld van mensen aan de top van DDR. Zoals Honecker, Egon Krenz en hoop stilletjes dat ook Sabine Bergmann-Pohl voorbij komt.

[@NotMarkKnopfler]

Ooh what a great channel! I'm very interested in cold war era politics and the GDR in particular. Have you covered Honecker yet? I'll check your videos. Subscribed! 👍

[@ComedyJakob]

I enjoy your videos, and you are the world's most East German looking man.

[@sc1338]

I think he’s Dutch tho 😂

[@capoislamort100]

What does an East German look like?

[@SDGrave]

What are some of the books you would recommend to start learning about the DDR?

[@EdMcF1]

Pole-vaulting for beginners?

[@stephenmoerlein8470]

Interesting background to the Honecker episode.

[@freddiejones2551]

U gonna give Honecker a whirl? Doping in athletics would also be a prize plum.

[@decem_sagittae]

It's always fascinating to learn about East Germany. Those were very dark times. It might not have been as bad as Romania under Ceaușescu, but still pretty bad. The red plague oppressed us for half a century, it destroyed us all.

[@Tirana44]

Another fascinating and informative video. To me, the DDR was one of modern history’s great enigmas.

[@brucearthur5108]

Is there a Marxist-Leninist reason for the absurdly high-waisted pants that Ulbricht was wearing in that ping-pong clip in the middle of the video?

[@donallen8414]

The fun thing is how the Chinese leader Jiang Zemin copied such pants. But then he "studied" in Moscow during the 1950s, and probably thought it was still in fashion in the year 2000 😂 Kim Jong Un still likes them in 2023...

[@avus-kw2f213]

6:03 Proof that anyone can become a leader

[@Theaudacity787]

somehow he is more competent then Joe Biden

[@duitseles9687]

As long as you're a member of the club ;).

[@cloviscameron7233]

During the 60s i regarded walter ulbrich RIP 🎉🎉🎉🎉.

[@johano-go]

I'm looking forward to the follow-up documentaries about Honecker and Krentz.

[@boink800]

Honecker would be a very interesting video, as Honecker was not in the "Ulbricht Group". Rather, Honecker had spent 10 years in prison between 1935-1945 (he was caught as a Communist spy by the Gestapo). How Ulbricht was pushed out in 1971 is also very interesting material.

[@vazhanatroshvili7523]

thanks

[@konstantinoskatsounis2320]

Great

[@600322]

It should be favourable for our listener or viewers if you could compare the systems.. Pros and cons,

[@edwardloomis887]

Only Walter Ulbricht could lead so badly that Unter Den Linden became 17. Juni Strasse.

[@IrishCarney]

SED in English is not Socialist Unit Party, it's Socialist Unity Party. Unit means one thing or group. Unity means the idea of togetherness.

[@eastgermanyinvestigated]

Well spotted! You are absolutely right. Thanks for mentioning this.