  friedrich "fritz" ebert, jr. (12 september 1894 &ndash; 4 december 1979) was a german politician and east german communist official, the son of germany's first president friedrich ebert. he was originally a social democrat like his father before him, but is best known for his role in the origins of the socialist unity party of germany and the german democratic republic, in which he served in various positions. ==early life== thumb|friedrich ebert jr. with his father and mother louise and his siblings (from left to right) georg and heinrich (christmas 1898) thumb|right|ebert in 1928. born in bremen, fritz ebert underwent an apprenticeship as a printer from 1909 to 1913. in 1910 he joined the socialist workers' youth and in 1913 the spd. from 1915 to 1918 he fought in the first world war. during the weimar republic, he worked for various social democratic newspapers. in 1933, he was arrested for illegal political activity and detained for eight months in various concentration camps, e.g. oranienburg and bÃ¶rgermoor. in 1939, he was conscripted into the army. in 1940, he worked at the reichsverlagsamt (publishers' office). until 1945 he was under constant police surveillance. ==career in east germany== after the demise of the third reich, he was elected chairman of the spd in the prussian province of brandenburg. being the son of a former president made ebert one of the foremost political leaders in east germany. his role in this perio
1894_births 1979_deaths German_military_personnel_of_World_War_I Leaders_of_East_Germany Mayors_of_Berlin Members_of_the_People\'s_Chamber_of_the_German_Democratic_Republic Members_of_the_Reichstag_of_the_Weimar_Republic Members_of_the_State_Council_of_the_German_Democratic_Republic People_from_Bremen Recipients_of_the_Banner_of_Labor Recipients_of_the_Order_of_Karl_Marx Recipients_of_the_Patriotic_Order_of_Merit Recipients_of_the_Star_of_People\'s_Friendship Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany_politicians Socialist_Unity_Party_of_Germany_politicians