Career
Born in Burgebrach (Upper Franconia) in 1887, Brodmerkel moved to Bremen in 1911, becoming a butcher. Brodmerkel was a delegate of the Bremen left-wing radicals during the April 6, 1917 founding conference of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD), in Gotha. Soon after, Brodmerkel participated in the founding congress of the KPD (30 December 1918-1911 January 1919).
When the German Revolution of 1918-1919 broke out, Brodmerkel first served as Vice Chairman of the Action Committee founded in a Faulenstraße union hall by four USPD members and three left-wing radicals, among them Brodmerkel.
After the election of a hundred and eighty deputies the Action Committee was completed, and a workers" and soldiers" council was formed. Brodmerkel later became its Chairman, and participated in the founding of the Bremen Soviet Republic, which was put down by the government shortly afterwards.
After the failure of the revolution, Brodmerkel was elected a deputy of the Bürgerschaft (Parliament) of Bremen in 1923, as a representative of the Communist Party. Clashes ensued within the Bremen branch of the KPD in 1924, after Eugen Eppstein had been designated district manager by the "ultra-left" in the KPD Berlin headquarters in May.
In early 1925, Brodmerkel was expelled from the Communist Party together with Adolf Ehlers and Wilhelm Deisen on charges of being right-wing, but was readmitted by the end of the year.
Again expelled in 1929, Brodmerkel joined the Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) instead. He died in Bremen on 2 February 1932, only months before the July federal elections, which for the first time saw Nazi Party gain larger support than the Social Democratic Party and KPD put together.
