Hans-Georg von Beerfelde

Future journalist and writer, Hans-Georg von Beerfelde graduated as military officer in 1897 and served in a grenadier regiment. During World War I, Beerfelde became an active pacifist and joined a revolutionary organization close to the independent social democrats (USPD). In January 1918 he helped organizing workers' strikes in Berlin and was twice arrested. Freed after the November revolution, Beerfelde, as a representative of soldiers' councils, was elected to Vollzugsrat der Arbeiter- und Soldatenräte Groß-Berlins (Executive Council of the Workers' and Soldiers' Councils of Greater Berlin) during the meeting in the Busch Circus on 10 Nov 1918. He became one of the chairmen1 in this body on 11 Nov 1918, but the next day (12 Nov 1918) he was dismissed after his attempt to arrest the Prussian war minister Scheüch, an action considered unnecessary by the Executive Council. Later von Beerfelde worked for the Human Rights' League for exposure of warmongers. After the Nazi regime came to power in 1933, Beerfelde was several times arrested and finally left Germany. Biography source: [2]