SED founded

In the Soviet Occupation Zone the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) were re-established independently of each other. In past months the Soviets have increased pressure on Social Democrats to merge with the Communists into a „party of unity“.

Source: vulture-bookz.de Wilhelm Pieck, Otto Grotewohl and Walter Ulbricht at the party convention which seals the forced unification

Otto Grotewohl, the speaker of the Eastern SPD, finally gives in to this pressure and extends his hand to Communist leader Wilhelm Pieck: On 21 and 22 April 1946  – against the objections of many Social Democrats – the forced unification of SPD and KPD into the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) takes place in East-Berlin’s Admirals Palace. Since the end of 1945 thousands of Social Democrats in the SBZ were already brought into line, temporarily incarcerated or, in some cases, even killed by the Communist rulers.