Alexander Abusch

{{Infobox politician

| name = Alexander Abusch

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-E1114-0201-004, Berlin, 1. DSV-Jahreskonferenz, Alexander Abusch.jpg

| caption = Alexander Abusch in 1966

| office = Minister of Culture of the German Democratic Republic

| president =

| term_start = December 1958

| term_end = January 1961

| predecessor = Johannes R. Becher

| successor = Hans Bentzien

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1902|2|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kraków, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary or Nuremberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|1|27|1902|2|14|df=y}}

| death_place = East Berlin, German Democratic Republic

| party = KPD (1918–1946)
SED (1946–1982)

| profession = Journalist, writer, politician

| spouse =

| children =

}}

Alexander Abusch (14 February 1902 {{ndash}} 27 January 1982){{cite web|url=http://www.bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de/wer-war-wer-in-der-ddr-%2363%3B-1424.html?ID=4|author1=Karin Hartewig|author2=Bernd-Rainer Barth |language=German|title=Abusch, Alexander * 14.2.1902, † 27.1.1982 Minister für Kultur |publisher= Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur: Biographische Datenbanken |accessdate= 24 July 2015}} was a German journalist, non-fiction writer, and politician.

According to one source he was born into a Jewish family in Kraków, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary. According to another source, he was born in Nuremberg,Cross-Section: Anthology of the PEN Centre German Democratic Republic Edition Leipzig, 1970. p. 18. where, in the suburb of Gostenhof, he grew up, attended school, served his apprenticeship and had his first full-time job. His father worked as a coachman and scrap metal dealer, and later opened a hat shop. His mother also worked as a small trader.

Abusch joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in 1918. He was editor of several KPD publications. In 1937, he became part of the exiled KPD leadership in Paris, later in Toulouse. In 1941, he moved to Mexico, where he became a member of the Free Germany Movement. Between 1948 and 1950 he was part of the party leadership of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. He worked as a Secret Informer for the Stasi. Between 1958 and 1961 he served as Minister of Culture of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).[http://www.nachlassdatenbank.de/viewsingle.php?category=A&person_id=101&asset_id=39&sid=f4ce2249245dbb589fa "Abusch, Alexander (1902–1982)"]. Das Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archives). 2004-2005. Retrieved 16 October 2009. It was in his role as Minister of Culture that he ordered the demolition of princely castle of Putbus on Rügen.Ralph Sommer, Verein will Schloss Putbus auf Rügen wieder aufbauen, Nordkurier, 8 December 2019 [https://www.nordkurier.de/mecklenburg-vorpommern-ruegen/verein-will-schloss-putbus-auf-ruegen-wieder-aufbauen-0837726212.html]