Paul Markowski

Paul Markowski (1 June 1929 – 6 March 1978) was an East German politician. He became a member of the country's powerful Party Central Committee in 1971, at the unusually young age of 43. He was also unusually talented as a linguist.

Life Paul Markowski, the son of a Kashubian industrial worker who had relocated from Danzig, Here he studied modern languages (English, French, and Russian). By this time he had added Spanish to his repertoire of foreign languages.

Between 1950 and 1951 he is listed as an instructor with the National Council of the FDJ. From October 1950 he furthered his studies in Berlin, at the Humboldt University, now focusing on Slavistic studies. Between 1951 and 1953 he studied foreign policy at the "Walter Ulbricht" College of Administration at Babelsberg (Potsdam) and diplomacy-statecraft at the closely associated German academy for Government and Jurisprudence. At 21.30 on 6 March 1978, shortly after taking off en route back from the tented encampment at Wadi Suf al-Jin (Wādī Sawfajjīn), the Super Frelon helicopter carrying the four-member East German delegation fell into a tailspin and crashed. Those who died along with Werner Lamberz were Paul Markowski, the translator Armin Ernst and the news-photographer Hans-Joachim Spremberg. It was later reported that their Libyan negotiating partners had urged them to stay an extra night and not to risk traveling in a helicopter with a Libyan pilot who was known to have no experience of night flying. The official Libyan report imputed all the blame for the accident to the pilot. Subsequent conspiracy theories have circled the events ever since, but none of these has progressed beyond a series of tantalising conjectural scenarios.

Awards and honours 1965 Patriotic Order of Merit 1969 Banner of Labor 1973 Patriotic Order of Merit

In Magdeburg, a short distance to the north of the city centre, "Paul-Markowski-Platz" ("Paul Markowski Square") was named after him, but has subsequently been renamed "Neustädter Platz".