Background
Lessing was born in Saint St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Gottfried Lessing
Edit ProfileCareer
First he sought refuge in the United Kingdom. Later he moved to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He worked as a lawyer in Salisbury from 1941 to 1946 and took part in the founding of the small Southern Rhodesia Communist Party, becoming a leading member. They had one son together.
In 1949 he returned to the United Kingdom, where he worked for the Communist Party of Great Britain.
From 1952 to 1957 he was the president of the Chamber of Foreign Trade. Then, in 1959–1960, he led East Germany"s trade representation in Indonesia.
In 1961 he was sent to Mali. From 1962 to 1965 he was back in East Germany, working as the head of the Africa section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Between 1965 and 1969, Lessing served as East Germany"s Consul General in Tanzania.
He again returned to East Germany, and worked in the Planning Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lessing went on to serve as the East German Ambassador to Uganda. Lessing was the maternal uncle of politician Gregor Gysi.
Achievements
Politics
In 1950 he settled in East Berlin, and in 1951 he became a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.
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Born
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Died
April 11, 1979 (aged 64) -
Nationality
East Germany -
Ethnicity
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Political Party
Socialist Unity Party of Germany