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Gottfried Anton Nicolai Lessing (1914-1979) was a German lawyer, political activist and diplomat. Being a Jew, he was forced to migrate from Germany in 1938. First he sought refuge in Britain. Later he moved to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He worked as a lawyer in Salisbury 1941-1946. In Rhodesia he took part in the founding and became a leading member of the small Southern Rhodesia Communist Party.[1][2] He was married to Doris Lessing 1944-1949.[3] They had one son together.

In 1949 he returned to Britain, where he worked for the Communist Party of Great Britain. In 1950 he settled down in East Berlin. In 1951 he became a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.[1]

From 1952 to 1957 he was the president of the Chamber of Foreign Trade. Then, in 1959-1960, he led the trade representation of the German Democratic Republic in Indonesia. In 1961 he was sent to Mali. 1962-1965 he was back in the GDR, working as the head of the Africa section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between 1965 and 1969, Lessing served as the Consul General of the German Democratic Republic in Tanzania. He again returned to Germany, and worked in the Planning Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1]

Lessing went on to serve as the ambassador of the German Democratic Republic to Uganda. He and his third wife were killed in the riots against Idi Amin's rule in 1979.[4][2] His ex-wife, Doris, has hinted that she thought the KGB could have been responsible for the killing.[5]

Lessing was the maternal uncle of Gregor Gysi.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hoff, Henning. Grossbritannien und die DDR 1955-1973 : Diplomatie auf Umwegen. Munich: Oldenbourg, 2003. p. 65
  2. ^ a b Doris Lessing
  3. ^ a b Portrait: Doris Lessing Feministin wider Willen - Kultur - sueddeutsche.de
  4. ^ oe1.ORF.at / Literaturnobelpreis an Doris Lessing
  5. ^ Doris Lessing: 'Ich mag keine Utopien' - Unterhaltung - stern.de
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