Lists of political office-holders in East Germany

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These are lists of political office-holders in East Germany. The political leadership of East Germany was distributed between several offices. However, until the Volkskammer removed a section in the GDR's constitution guaranteeing their monopoly on political power on 1 December 1989, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) held ultimate power and authority over state and government. Thus, the head of the SED's Politburo of the Central Committee was the de facto leader of the country.

Overview[edit]

Logo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany

The political leadership of East Germany was distributed between several offices. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and its leader held ultimate power and authority over state and government.

Prior to the proclamation of an East German state, the Soviets established the German Economic Commission (DWK) in 1948 as a de facto government in their occupation zone. Its chairman was Heinrich Rau.

On 7 October 1949 an East German state, called the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was proclaimed and took over governmental functions from the DWK, largely with the same leading figures.

Until 1 December 1989, the most important position in the GDR was that of the Leader of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), first titled chairman from 1946 to 1950, then as the First Secretary between 1950 and 1976 and finally titled General Secretary. The first article of the GDR's constitution contained a section granting the SED a monopoly on power, making the SED's leader the de facto leader of the country. He and the party Politburo, which he headed, set all policy, with both cabinet, state council and parliament acting as a rubber stamp implementing their decisions.

The formal head of state was originally the President of the German Democratic Republic. After the death of incumbent Wilhelm Pieck in 1960, the office was replaced by a collective body as head of state, the State Council. The position of chairman was the de facto head of state and commonly held by the party leader.

The government was headed by the Council of Ministers and its chairman, sometimes colloquially called Prime Minister. However, all the decisions were made by the party, with the cabinet implementing them. Indeed, the SED Central Committee had committees mirroring the cabinet departments.

Other institutions included the Volkskammer, the legislature whose sessions were chaired by a President, and, since 1960, the National Defense Council, which held supreme command of the GDR's armed forces and had unlimited authority over the State in time of war. The Council was composed exclusively of members of the SED's Central Committee and Politburo, with the party leader serving as Chairman of the National Defense Council.

The political landscape was completely changed by the Peaceful Revolution in late 1989, which saw the SED having to relinquish its monopoly on political power in favour of the Council of Ministers, the National Defense Council and the State Council being abolished. The remaining institutions were the People's Chamber, whose President became head of state by default for the remainder of the GDR's existence, and the Council of Ministers, both soon constituted on basis of the country's first and only democratic elections in March 1990. The GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990

Name
(Lifespan)
Portrait Period Congress(es) Political office Premier President Policies
Walter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
25 July 1950

3 May 1971
First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party[a]
Chairman of the State Council
(1960–1973)
Chairman of the National Defense Council
(1960–1971)
Otto Grotewohl
Willi Stoph
Wilhelm Pieck
himself
Stalinism
Construction of Socialism
(1950–54)
Farm collectivization
(1952–61)
Ten Commandments of Socialist Morality and Ethics
(1958–76)
New Economic System
(1963–68)
Economic System of Socialism (1968–70)
Ever since the merger of the KPD and SPD, Ulbricht was one of the leading figures in the Socialist Unity Party, largely due to his good relationship with the Soviets. Originally led in parity by former SPD Central Committee Co-Chairman Otto Grotewohl and aging former KPD leader Wilhelm Pieck, Ulbricht was elected First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party on 25 July 1950, solidifying his leading role of both country and party.
Erich Honecker
(1912–1994)
3 May 1971

18 October 1989
General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party[b]
Chairman of the State Council
(1976–1989)
Chairman of the National Defense Council
Willi Stoph
Horst Sindermann
Willi Stoph
Walter Ulbricht
Willi Stoph
himself
Unity of Economic and Social Policy (1971–89)
The failure of Ulbricht's Economic System of Socialism and his bad relationship with new Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev opened an opportunity for Honecker, formerly Ulbricht's protégé and Secretary for Security and Cadre Affairs of the Central Committee Secretariat, to depose him. After finally receiving Brezhnev's approval, Honecker forced Ulbricht to resign as First Secretary in May 1971.
Egon Krenz
(1937–)
18 October 1989

1 December 1989
General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party
Chairman of the State Council
Chairman of the National Defense Council
Willi Stoph
Hans Modrow
himself
By the late 1980s, the GDRs economy was in crisis, with the unsustainable debt burden rising every year to finance the country's generous welfare system. By summer 1989, an opposition movement had formed that the ruling class was unable to deal with. In addition, Honecker's health was failing and he became increasingly oblivious to the situation in the country. On 17 October 1989, Egon Krenz, Honecker's protégé and youngest Politburo member, deposed Honecker in the Politburo. Honecker announced his resignation a day later in the Central Committee, citing his failing health, and proposed Krenz as his successor.
Hans Modrow
(1928–2023)
1 December 1989

12 April 1990
Chairman of the Council of Ministers himself Egon Krenz
Manfred Gerlach
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (interim)
Round Table
Democratization
In November 1989, Willi Stoph resigned as Chairman of the Council of Ministers. His replacement, former First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party
in Bezirk Dresden Modrow, stressed his independence towards the SED's leadership upon his election by the Volkskammer on 13 November. After the Volkskammer removed the section in the GDR's constitution guaranteeing their monopoly on political power on 1 December 1989, Modrow became the de facto leader of the GDR, Krenz resigning as head of state a few days later.
Lothar de Maizière
(1940–)
12 April 1990

2 October 1990
Minister-President himself Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (interim) German reunification
Privatization
The 1990 Volkskammer election, the first and only free elections of the GDR, saw a victory for the Alliance for Germany electoral coalition and chiefly the Christian Democratic Union, led by de Maizière. The Volkskammer elected him as Minister-President on 12 April 1990.

Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)[edit]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party
Joint Chairmen of the Socialist Unity Party
Vorsitzende der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands
.
Wilhelm Pieck
Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck
(1876–1960)
22 April 194625 July 19504 years, 94 daysSED
.
Otto Grotewohl
Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl
(1894–1964)
22 April 194625 July 19504 years, 94 daysSED
General Secretary of the Central Committee
(First Secretary of the Central Committee 1953–1976)
Generalsekretär/Erster Sekretär des Zentralkommitees
1
Walter Ulbricht
Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
25 July 19503 May 197120 years, 282 daysSED
2
Erich Honecker
Honecker, ErichErich Honecker
(1912–1994)
3 May 197118 October 198918 years, 168 daysSED
3
Egon Krenz
Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz
(born 1937)
18 October 19896 December 198949 daysSED
(Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee
Vorsitzender des Zentralkommitees
1
Walter Ulbricht
Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
3 May 19711 August 1973 †2 years, 90 daysSED

On 1 December 1989, the People's Chamber removed the section of the East German Constitution granting the SED a monopoly of power—thus ending Communist rule in East Germany. Before the month was out, the SED transformed from a Leninist cadre party into a democratic socialist party, renaming itself first to Socialist Unity Party — Party of Democratic Socialism and later in the same year, to Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). Hence, the party's subsequent leaders were no more leaders of East Germany than the leaders of other parties.

Heads of state[edit]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party
President of the Republic
Präsident der Republik
Johannes Dieckmann
Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann
(1893–1969)
Acting
7 October 194911 October 19494 daysLDPD
1
Wilhelm Pieck
Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck
(1876–1960)
11 October 19497 September 1960 †10 years, 332 daysSED
Johannes Dieckmann
Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann
(1893–1969)
Acting
7 September 196012 September 19605 daysLDPD
Chairman of the State Council
Vorsitzender des Staatsrats
1
Walter Ulbricht
Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
12 September 19601 August 1973 †12 years, 323 daysSED
Friedrich Ebert Jr.
Ebert Jr., FriedrichFriedrich Ebert Jr.
(1894–1979)
Acting
1 August 19733 October 197363 daysSED
2
Willi Stoph
Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)
3 October 197329 October 19763 years, 26 daysSED
3
Erich Honecker
Honecker, ErichErich Honecker
(1912–1994)
29 October 197624 October 198912 years, 360 daysSED
4
Egon Krenz
Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz
(born 1937)
24 October 19896 December 198943 daysSED
5
Manfred Gerlach
Gerlach, ManfredManfred Gerlach
(1928–2011)
6 December 19895 April 1990120 daysLDPD
President of the People's Chamber[c]
Präsident der Volkskammer
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl
Bergmann-Pohl, SabineSabine Bergmann-Pohl
(born 1946)
5 April 19902 October 1990180 daysCDU

Heads of government[edit]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party
Minister-President
Ministerpräsident
1
Otto Grotewohl
Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl
(1894–1964)
12 October 194921 September 1964 †14 years, 345 daysSED
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Vorsitzender des Ministerrats
2
Willi Stoph
Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)
21 September 19643 October 19739 years, 12 daysSED
3
Horst Sindermann
Sindermann, HorstHorst Sindermann
(1915–1990)
3 October 197329 October 19763 years, 26 daysSED
(2)
Willi Stoph
Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)
29 October 197613 November 198913 years, 15 daysSED
4
Hans Modrow
Modrow, HansHans Modrow
(1928–2023)
13 November 198912 April 1990150 daysSED
PDS
Minister-President
Ministerpräsident
5
Lothar de Maizière
de Maizière, LotharLothar de Maizière
(born 1940)
12 April 19902 October 1990173 daysCDU

Heads of parliament[edit]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party
President of the People's Chamber
Präsident der Volkskammer
1
Johannes Dieckmann
Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann
(1893–1969)
7 October 194922 February 1969 †19 years, 138 daysLDPD
2
Gerald Götting
Götting, GeraldGerald Götting
(1923–2015)
12 May 196929 October 19767 years, 170 daysCDU
3
Horst Sindermann
Sindermann, HorstHorst Sindermann
(1915–1990)
29 October 197613 November 198913 years, 15 daysSED
4
Günther Maleuda
Maleuda, GüntherGünther Maleuda
(1931–2012)
13 November 19895 April 1990143 daysDBD
5
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl
Bergmann-Pohl, SabineSabine Bergmann-Pohl
(born 1946)
5 April 19902 October 1990180 daysCDU

Heads of the military[edit]

Standard of the chairman of the National Defence Council
No. Portrait Chairman of the National Defence Council
Vorsitzender des Nationalen Verteidigungsrates
Took office Left office Time in office Party
1
Walter Ulbricht
Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht
(1893–1973)
10 February 19603 May 197111 years, 82 daysSED
2
Erich Honecker
Honecker, ErichErich Honecker
(1912–1994)
3 May 197118 October 198918 years, 168 daysSED
3
Egon Krenz
Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz
(born 1937)
18 October 19896 December 198949 daysSED

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Titled General Secretary until 1953
  2. ^ Honecker held the same position under the title of First Secretary until 1976
  3. ^ On 5 April 1990, the State Council was abolished and its responsibilities were transferred to the Presidium of the People's Chamber, with the President of the latter body serving as interim Head of state.

References[edit]

External links[edit]