Horst Wessel (9 October 1907 – 23 February 1930) was a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. He started out as a young man by forming his own right wing youth group called the Knappschaft. Later he joined successive right wing militant organizations until finally the SA in 1926.

As a member of the SA he joined in street fights with Communists and gangs of the SDP. Wessel had studied boxing and martial arts and was an effective street fighter. Josef Goebbles, the leader of the Berlin SA became impressed with Wessel and sent him to study in Vienna. When he returned he gave street speeches and even wrote songs promoting the NSDAP.

Berlin descended into anarchy with constant violence between the SA and the Communists the police could not contain. Wessel attained notoriety with the Berlin Communists.

Wessel took a former prostitute as a live in girlfriend. Their landlady tried to expel them from the property because under law the property could be confiscated if she entertained in the building. Wessel refused to leave so she asked for assistance from Albrecht Hohler, a pimp and Communist.

When he found out Wessel was the man she wanted removed he got a gang of cohorts and they went to remove him from the apartment. Hohler shot Wessel as soon as he opened the door. He was later sentenced to 6 years for the killing.

Goebbles used the killing to turn Wessel into a martyr. The Nazis conducted a parade lasting a few hours through Berlin taking Wessel to his final resting place. There were confrontations and rock throwing with Communists during the trip. Franz Pfeffer von Salomon, Hermann Göring, and Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia attended the funeral.

Die Fahne Hoch (The Flag (raised) High), a song by Horst Wessel became the Nazi anthem and co anthem of Germany until 1945. He wrote the song to enrage Communists and get them to attack his SA men. The song was renamed “Horst Wessel Lied.”

Horst Wessel Wikipedia