Schmidt was born into a working-class family in
Halle. He attended school locally and trained for work as a miner. Two years later, in 1943, using the pseudonym "Jack Morrell", he became
editor-in-chief of the , a London-based newspaper published by and for the exiled German communists who had fetched up in Britain. He continued to serve in this capacity till
war ended in the early summer of 1945. October 1949 was the month in which the
Soviet occupation zone was relaunched as the
Soviet sponsored German Democratic Republic (East Germany). A more personal change of direction for Heinz Schmidt came on 20 October 1949 when the
Politburo removed him from his post at
Berlin Radio, citing his "nationalistic arrogance" and "insufficient political vigilance" (). Between 1950 and 1955 he was employed on a "provisional contract" in the production department. In 1955/56 he was appointed editor in chief on
Das Magazin, a recently launched arts and lifestyle magazine. In 1956, he was switched to the same position on the satirical magazine . However, in 1958, he was removed from that post. == Personal ==