 Wilhelm Knöchel akaberekerwa mumhuri yevashandi veSocial Democratic muOffenbach, iri pedyo neFrankfurt. Akakwaniriswa uye akashanda somushandi wemichina yefekitari Dreher. Muna 1917 akanyoresa muuto reImperial, achibva akuvadzwa zvakaipisisa. Kunewo mareferenzi kwaari ave achishanda seinjiniya yekuchengetedza migodhi Grubenschlosser. Muna 1919, neGermany ichitambudzwa nenhamo huru yezvemari uye, zvikurukuru mumaguta, nhevedzano yokumukira kwechimurenga, Knöchel akabatana neSocial Democratic Party Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands SPD a hrefSocial20Democratic20Party20of20Germany. Pakazosvika 1920 akanga atamira kunotsvaka basa kunharaunda yeRuhr inokosha uye inokosha munyika yose. Manyuko anosiyana pamusoro pokuti kwakanga kuri muna 1920 kana kuti 1923 kuti akachinjira kuCommunist Party yakanga ichangobva kuumbwa. Pakati pa1924 na1930 aive nhengo yechikwata chehutungamiriri hwebato mudunhu reDortmund ...des Unterbezirk Dortmund. Muna 1930, pashure porufu rwomudzimai wake wokutanga, akadzokera kuOffenbach, uko kwakarongwa kuti mwanasikana wake anofanira kurerwa nehama. Knöchel zvino akanga ava kushanda somukuru mukuru webato. 