About Kurt Maetzig
Kurt Maetzig was a German film director who had a significant effect on the film industry in East Germany. He was one of the most respected filmmakers of the GDR. After his retirement he lived in Wildkuhl, Mecklenburg, and had three children. After the war, he moved back to Berlin, where he co-founded a group called "Filmaktiv" in 1945, whose aim was to organise a resumption of film production. He joined the newly founded state-owned film studio, DEFA, in 1947, where he worked as a director both of documentaries and feature films. During the Second World War, Maetzig became a member of the illegal Communist Party in 1944.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.