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    "label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Germany, Situation Report 20",
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    "title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Germany, Situation Report 20",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500218",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 9,
            "logicalDate": "1949-12-09",
            "month": 12,
            "year": 1949
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{
    "seq": 51,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "D-2\nSECRET\nFISCHER, KURT\n1946. Heuss considers his primary function\nKurt Fischer. Age 49. Fischer, one of the\nas Federal President to be that of an arbiter\nold-line Moscow-trained German Communists,\nbetween the various conflicting elements in\nhas since July 1948 been the chief of the Ger-\nthe Bundestag. He inclines toward the left\nman Administration of the Interior (GAI) of\nwing of the FDP and opposes both unre-\nthe Soviet Zone. He is at present one of the\nstrained nationalism and extreme federalism.\nkey men in the Soviet control mechanism, in\nHeuss is strongly anti-Communist and anti-\na position which is rapidly becoming the most\nSoviet, and wholeheartedly in favor of Ger-\npowerful in the entire Soviet Zone. Fischer\nmany's equal participation in a United States\nis a fanatical and ruthless Communist who\nof Europe.\nhas rendered yeoman service to the SMA in\nKOEHLER, ERICH\nhis present position, and also earlier as Minis-\nErich Koehler. Age 57. Elected president\nter of the Interior in Land Saxony. Although\nof the Bundestag (Lower House) of the Ger-\nFischer's relations with the Socialist Unity\nman Federal Republic. As president of the\nParty (SED) hierarchy have on occasion been\nBizonal Economic Council, he showed himself\ncool, there is no doubt as to his unswerving\nto be an excellent mediator and administrator,\nloyalty to the USSR.\nalthough his political perception and under-\nGROTEWOHL, OTTO\nstanding of social and economic issues have\nOtto Grotewohl. Age 54. Co-chairman of\nbeen questioned. While he devoted most of\nthe Socialist Unity Party. Grotewohl was ex-\nhis time to business activities until 1945, he\npelled from the Social Democratic Party in\nhad been active as a member of the National\nApril 1946 because of his activities with the\nExecutive of the German People's Party until\nSED. Now Prime Minister of the new German\n1933. As member of the Hesse Constituent\nDemocratic Republic, he has consistently\nAssembly and chairman of the administrative\nfollowed the Moscow line. He has been in the\ncouncil of the Hesse Provincial Central Bank\nSocial Democratic movement since 1910, repre-\nKoehler won the respect of all with whom he\nsented the SPD in the Reichstag, and held the\ncame into contact. His ability to mediate and\npost of Minister of Interior and Justice in the\narbitrate frequently has served as a buffer be-\nBrunswick Government for several years. He\ntween his own party, the CDU, and the SPD,\nremained in Germany and was arrested a num-\nas well as between Military Government and\nber of times between 1933-1945. In 1945 he\nthe Germans.\nbecame chairman of the SPD central com-\nOLLENHAUER, ERICH\nmittee and then led the SPD in the National\nErich Ollenhauer. Age 48. Ollenhauer is\nFront movement of the left wing parties in\nVice-Chairman of the Social Democratic Party\nBerlin. Upon the formation of the Com-\n(SPD) in west Germany and unofficial leader\nmunist-sponsored Peoples Council, Grotewohl\nof the SPD minority in the new Bundestag.\nwas elected to its presidium. Since the war\nActive ever since 1920 in the SPD, Ollenhauer\nhe has made several trips to Moscow and has\nis considered one of the most astute and well-\nvisited Belgrade, Budapest, Prague, and War-\nbalanced machine politicians in Germany\nsaw. He is said to have received Soviet citizen-\ntoday, although he lacks the outstanding ora-\nship and the rank of major in the Red Army.\ntorical abilities of his party chief, Dr. Schu-\nHEUSS, THEODOR\nmacher. Ollenhauer, a \"right-wing\" Social\nTheodor Heuss. Age 65. Heuss was elected\nDemocrat, enjoys Schumacher's full confi-\nfirst President of the German Federal Repub-\ndence and is expected to assume the chairman-\nlic on 12 September 1949. Prior to becoming\nship of the SPD whenever Schumacher is no\nFederal President, he was Chairman of the\nlonger able to continue in that post.\nFree Democratic Party (FDP) in western Ger-\nPIECK, WILHELM\nmany. A liberal journalist by profession,\nWilhelm Pieck. Age 73. As co-chairman\nHeuss was also a Reichstag deputy for seven\nof the Socialist Unity Party (SED) he is the\nyears prior to 1933, and has served as a Land-\n\"grand old man\" of German Communism.\ntag delegate in Wuerttemberg-Baden since\nBorn in Guben, Brandenburg, and apprenticed\nSECRET"
}