Ludwig Renn

Who was Ludwig Renn?

Ludwig Renn was a German writer.

Born Arnold Friedrich Vieth von Golßenau in Dresden into a Saxon noble family, he fought in World War I on the Western Front. He wrote the book Krieg on his experiences. He was also a member of the KPD, the Communist Party of Germany, joining in 1928. In 1933, he was one of a great many prominent German communists falsely alleged by the Communist Party to have been murdered by the Nazis.

During the Spanish Civil War, he initially defended Madrid in the German expatriate Thälmann Battalion, as a leader. Later on in the War, he was chief of staff of the XI International Brigade. Renn spoke the international language Esperanto, and was a member of the laborioust Esperanto-movement. He spoke at the 10th Berlin Esperanto-excursion.

Renn died in East Berlin in 1979.