Early career After attending elementary school from 1885 to 1893, Buchwitz completed an
apprenticeship as a metal spinner and iron turner until 1896. He joined the
German Metal Workers' Union in 1896 and became a member of the
Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1898. Until 1907, Buchwitz worked in his trained profession, but also as a weaver. From 1908, he served as the secretary of the German Textile Workers' Association for the
Chemnitz area. Drafted for military service in 1914, he was stationed in
East Prussia by the end of the war. From April 1946 to July 1964, he was a full member of the Party Executive Committee (PV), later
Central Committee of the SED.
East Germany In the course of the
Stalinization of the SED, former Social Democrats were gradually removed. In July 1950, the
III. Party Congress of the SED eliminated the equal representation between former Social Democrats and former Communists in central party functions. As a result, Buchwitz had to step down from chairing the ZPPK.
Death and legacy Buchwitz died on 9 July 1964, in Dresden and his grave is located at the Heidefriedhof there. most of which were renamed after
German reunification. In
Glauchau, the Spinnstoffwerk in the GDR era bore the name "VEB Spinnstoffwerk Otto Buchwitz," as shown by company documents in the factory ruins (2023). Currently, there are still Otto Buchwitz streets in
Oderwitz,
Bernsdorf (Oberlausitz), and
Mülsen, Otto Buchwitz Square in
Görlitz, and Otto Buchwitz Ring in
Neukirch/Lausitz. In 1961, the children's book publisher Berlin published "The Famous Great-Grandfather" (The Little Trumpeter Books 19), based on motifs from Buchwitz's published memoirs. The author, Gottfried Herold, did not mention Buchwitz's SPD membership. == Notes ==