Diether Dehm MdB a.D. | |
|---|---|
 Dehm in 2019 | |
| Member of theBundestag forLower Saxony (Hesse; 1994) | |
| In office 17 October 2005 – 26 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Victor Perli |
| In office 16 August 1994 – 10 November 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Weiler |
| Succeeded by | multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jörg-Diether Dehm-Desoi (1950-04-03)3 April 1950 (age 75) Frankfurt am Main,West Germany (now Germany) |
| Political party | The Left (2007–) |
| Other political affiliations | Party of Democratic Socialism (1998–2007) Social Democratic Party (1966–1998) |
| Alma mater | Goethe University Frankfurt |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Official website |
Diether Dehm (full nameJörg-Diether Dehm-Desoi;[1] born 3 April 1950) is a German left-wing politician, musician and music manager. He was a member of theSocial Democratic Party of Germany, thePDS, and theLeft Party.
Dehm was born inFrankfurt on 3 April 1950.[2] His father Otto Dehm was a mechanic, and played football forFSV Frankfurt, and his mother Inge (née Schulz) was a clerk.[3] He studiedremedial education, graduating in 1972,[3] and receiving a doctorate in 1975.[4]
Dehm performed as a singer-songwriter in the 1960s under the pseudonymLerryn, aportmanteau of his nickname,Larry, andLenin.[4] He won an award at theInternationale Essener Songtage [de], a seminal arts festival held in 1968.[5] In 1971, he foundedLieder im Park ('Songs in the Park'), a summer festival showcasing singer-songwriters, and organisedRock gegen rechts ('Rock Against the Right Wing') events.[6]
Dehm produced, wrote and played on Dutch folk rock bandBots's albumAufstehn ('Stand Up').[7] Included on the album is"Sieben Tage lang", the German version of Bots's best-known song,"Zeven Dagen Lang" ('Seven Days Long'); the translation was done by Dehm andGünter Wallraff.[8] Dehm, using the pseudonymN. Heirell, collaborated withKlaus Lage to write the song1000 und 1 Nacht (Zoom!) [de] ('1000 and 1 Night'),[9][10] which reached number five on the German singles charts in September 1984.[11]
In 1988, Dehm wrote a new party anthem for the SPD, titled"Das weiche Wasser bricht den Stein".[12][13]
In the 1990s, Dehm wrote the screenplay for the musical filmDie Eisprinzessin, starringKatharina Witt;[14][15] Dehm had been Witt's manager for a time.[16]
In 1970–1971, Dehm was recruited by the East GermanStasi secret service, and both he and his wife Christa Desoi becameunofficial collaborators (IMs). Dehm used the codenameWilly. His most notable work for the Stasi came in 1976, after dissident East German songwriterWolf Biermann was exiled while in West Germany. Dehm became Biermann's manager, and reported on Biermann's activities.[4] According to Stasi files, Dehm also reported on, among other subjects, activities of the SPD and certain West German artists, and goings-on at the University of Frankfurt.[10] In 1996, a court ruled that it was legal to refer to Dehm as a Stasi informer.[4]
Dehm was a member of the SPD from 1966 to 1998, serving as a member of theBundestag for a short time in 1994.[2] He became a member of thePDS in 1998, and was elected one of its deputy chairs in 1999.[17] He won re-election to that position twice,[10] but lost when he ran for a fourth term in 2003.[18]
From 2004 to 2010, Dehm was state chairman forLower Saxony in the Left Party.[10] He has been a Left Party member of the Bundestag since 2005.[2] Since 2010, he has chaired theBundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Linke Unternehmerinnen und Unternehmer, a Left Party group representing entrepreneurs,[19] and has advocated on behalf of businesspeople.[10]
In 2016, it was revealed that Dehm had hired formerRed Army Faction terroristChristian Klar to perform work on his website. His employment of Klar was disclosed when Dehm attempted to obtain clearance for him to work inside the Bundestag building.[20][21]
