Harich Group was the originally derogatory name given by the East German justice and media establishments to the defendants in a high-profile 1957 criminal trial against a "circle of like minded persons". Wolfgang Harich was a leading member of The Group: he was also a man whose name had been on the list of potentially helpful supporters that Walter Ulbricht brought with him from Moscow on 2 May 1945 when he arrived on his nation building mission. Two days later, invited to join Ulbricht's team, Harich had firmly declined, while nevertheless expressing his willingness to make his contribution in the cultural field and in journalism.
Background
During the de-Stalinization period, and particularly after First-secretary Khrushchev's "secret" speech of February 1956, in which he criticized Stalin, discussion groups developed spontaneously in Poland, Hungary and in East Germany, comprising Marxist intellectuals, and calling for reforms from within The Party that were, for the most part, aligned with the national objectives of the communist states. The "Bloch circle", met together in Leipzig. In Berlin there was a "circle of like minded persons" centred on Walter Janka and Gustav Just. There was also a "Thursday circle" around Fritz J. Raddatz and there was another group around the sculptor Fritz Cremer. The most important of these discussion groups was identified as the "circle of like minded persons", which for the most part comprised employees and authors of the country's leading publishing house, Aufbau-Verlag, and of the weekly newspaper "Sonntag". Contacts existed between Georg Lukács in Hungary, Ernst Bloch in Leipzig, :de:Paul Merker|Paul Merker and Johannes R. Becher. Wolfgang Harich was mandated to summarize the discussion groups' conclusions on paper. In this way Harich composed the "Platform for the special German route to Socialism". Key demands were as follows:
The"Platform" document was intended to serve as the basis for comprehensive discussions within the party, and would be published in the party newspaper :de:Einheit |Einheit. However, Harich handed a copy to Georgi Pushkin, the Soviet ambassador in Berlin, in the hope of receiving his support against the unreformed Stalinist national leader, Walter Ulbricht. Pushkin told Ulbricht about it. In a face to face conversation Ulbricht warned Harich against further activity. Harich, however, shared the document with employees of the East Germany office of the SPD, and with Rudolf Augstein, the hands-on proprietor-editor of West Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. West German media duly published the contents of the "Platform" document.
Arrests and trials
On 29 November 1956 Harich, Bernhard Steinberger and a journalist called Hertwig were arrested. Janka was arrested a week later on 6 December. The journalist Heinz Zöger and the radio commentator Richard Wolf attended the first part of the show trial that ensued in March 1957 in order to testify on behalf of Harich. Zöger and Wolf were arrested on 18 March 1957 in the court room as "participants in the counter revolutionary group" of Wolfgang Harich. Two show trials took place at the Supreme Court in Berlin in March and July 1957. Six men were convicted of creating a conspiratorial group of counter revolutionary enemies of the state. and sentenced.
A verdict on behalf of the state
In summing up his case, the state prosecutor, :de:Ernst Melsheimer|Ernst Melsheimer condemned the lead defendant with studied passion:
Sentencing
Wolfgang Harich received a ten-year prison sentence.
Walter Janka received a five-year prison sentence.
Gustav Just and :de:Bernhard Steinberger|Bernhard Steinberger each received a four-year prison sentence.
Richard Wolf received a three-year prison sentence.
Heinz Zöger received a two and a half year prison sentence.
:de:Manfred Hertwig|Manfred Hertwig received a two-year prison sentence.
Contrasting reactions from the sentenced men
Harich repented and thanked the investigators: Irrespective of what lay behind Harich's overblown contrition, it stood in stark contrast to the reaction of Walter Janka The former friends remained unreconciled for the rest of their lives. Addressing the court, Janka resolutely declared his innocence:
