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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.
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 [lower-alpha 1] 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 [lower-alpha 2] 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. | |||||||
| 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 (1876–1960) | 22 April 1946 | 25 July 1950 | 4 years, 94 days | SED | ||
| . | Otto Grotewohl (1894–1964) | 22 April 1946 | 25 July 1950 | 4 years, 94 days | SED | ||
| General Secretary of the Central Committee (First Secretary of the Central Committee 1953–1976) Generalsekretär/Erster Sekretär des Zentralkommitees | |||||||
| 1 | Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973) | 25 July 1950 | 3 May 1971 | 20 years, 282 days | SED | ||
| 2 | Erich Honecker (1912–1994) | 3 May 1971 | 18 October 1989 | 18 years, 168 days | SED | ||
| 3 | Egon Krenz (born 1937) | 18 October 1989 | 6 December 1989 | 49 days | SED | ||
| (Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee Vorsitzender des Zentralkommitees | |||||||
| 1 | Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973) | 3 May 1971 | 1 August 1973 † | 2 years, 90 days | SED | ||
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.
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Republic Präsident der Republik | |||||||
| – | Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting | 7 October 1949 | 11 October 1949 | 4 days | LDPD | ||
| 1 | Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960) | 11 October 1949 | 7 September 1960 † | 10 years, 332 days | SED | ||
| – | Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting | 7 September 1960 | 12 September 1960 | 5 days | LDPD | ||
| Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrats | |||||||
| 1 | Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973) | 12 September 1960 | 1 August 1973 † | 12 years, 323 days | SED | ||
| – | Friedrich Ebert Jr. (1894–1979) Acting | 1 August 1973 | 3 October 1973 | 63 days | SED | ||
| 2 | Willi Stoph (1914–1999) | 3 October 1973 | 29 October 1976 | 3 years, 26 days | SED | ||
| 3 | Erich Honecker (1912–1994) | 29 October 1976 | 24 October 1989 | 12 years, 360 days | SED | ||
| 4 | Egon Krenz (born 1937) | 24 October 1989 | 6 December 1989 | 43 days | SED | ||
| 5 | Manfred Gerlach (1928–2011) | 6 December 1989 | 5 April 1990 | 120 days | LDPD | ||
| President of the People's Chamber [lower-alpha 3] Präsident der Volkskammer | |||||||
| – | Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946) | 5 April 1990 | 2 October 1990 | 180 days | CDU | ||
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister-President Ministerpräsident | |||||||
| 1 | Otto Grotewohl (1894–1964) | 12 October 1949 | 8 December 1958 (office renamed) | 9 years, 57 days | SED | ||
| Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vorsitzender des Ministerrats | |||||||
| 1 | Otto Grotewohl (1894–1964) | 8 December 1958 | 21 September 1964 † | 5 years, 288 days | SED | ||
| 2 | Willi Stoph (1914–1999) | 21 September 1964 | 3 October 1973 | 9 years, 12 days | SED | ||
| 3 | Horst Sindermann (1915–1990) | 3 October 1973 | 29 October 1976 | 3 years, 26 days | SED | ||
| (2) | Willi Stoph (1914–1999) | 29 October 1976 | 13 November 1989 | 13 years, 15 days | SED | ||
| 4 | Hans Modrow (1928–2023) | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | 150 days | SED PDS | ||
| Minister-President Ministerpräsident | |||||||
| 5 | Lothar de Maizière (born 1940) | 12 April 1990 | 2 October 1990 | 173 days | CDU | ||
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the People's Chamber Präsident der Volkskammer | |||||||
| 1 | Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) | 7 October 1949 | 22 February 1969 † | 19 years, 138 days | LDPD | ||
| 2 | Gerald Götting (1923–2015) | 12 May 1969 | 29 October 1976 | 7 years, 170 days | CDU | ||
| 3 | Horst Sindermann (1915–1990) | 29 October 1976 | 13 November 1989 | 13 years, 15 days | SED | ||
| 4 | Günther Maleuda (1931–2012) | 13 November 1989 | 5 April 1990 | 143 days | DBD | ||
| 5 | Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946) | 5 April 1990 | 2 October 1990 | 180 days | CDU | ||
| No. | Portrait | Chairman of the National Defence Council Vorsitzender des Nationalen Verteidigungsrates | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973) | 10 February 1960 | 3 May 1971 | 11 years, 82 days | SED | ||
| 2 | Erich Honecker (1912–1994) | 3 May 1971 | 18 October 1989 | 18 years, 168 days | SED | ||
| 3 | Egon Krenz (born 1937) | 18 October 1989 | 6 December 1989 | 49 days | SED | ||
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Marxist–Leninist communist party, established in 1946 as a merger of the East German branches of the Communist Party of Germany and Social Democratic Party of Germany.
Egon Rudi Ernst Krenz is a German former politician who was the last Communist leader of the German Democratic Republic during the Revolutions of 1989. He succeeded Erich Honecker as the General Secretary of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) but was forced to resign only weeks later when the Berlin Wall fell.
The Volkskammer was the supreme power organ of the German Democratic Republic. It was the only branch of government in the state, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs were subservient to it.
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany was an East German political party founded in 1945. It was part of the National Front with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and a bloc party until 1989.
Otto Emil Franz Grotewohl was a German politician who served as the first prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from its foundation in October 1949 until his death in September 1964.
Wilhelm Stoph was a German politician. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1989. He also served as chairman of the State Council from 1973 to 1976.
Horst Sindermann was a Communist German politician and one of the leaders of East Germany. He became Chairman of the Council of Ministers in 1973, but in 1976 he became President of the Volkskammer, the only member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany to hold the post.
The president of the German Democratic Republic was the head of state of the German Democratic Republic, commonly known as East Germany, from 1949 until 1960. The office was created by the Constitution of 1949. The president of the Republic was elected by the People's Chamber (Volkskammer) and the Chamber of States (Länderkammer), the two chambers of parliament. The office was mostly ceremonial in nature. If necessary, the President of the Volkskammer acted as the president of the Republic.
Manfred Gerlach was a German jurist and politician, and the longtime leader of the East German Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Chairman of the Council of State and was thus head of state of East Germany from 6 December 1989 to 5 April 1990.
The German Democratic Republic was created as a socialist republic on 7 October 1949 and began to institute a government based on the government of the Soviet Union during the Stalin era. The equivalent of the Communist Party in East Germany was the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, which along with other parties, was part of the National Front of Democratic Germany. It was created in 1946 through the merger of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany. Following German reunification, the SED was renamed the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which eventually merged with the West German Electoral Alternative for Labor and Social Justice to form the modern Left Party.
The Council of Ministers was the cabinet and executive branch of the German Democratic Republic from November 1950 until the country was reunified on 3 October 1990. Originally formed as a body of 18 members, by 1989 the council consisted of 44 members.
The German Democratic Republic (GDR), German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), often known in English as East Germany, existed from 1949 to 1990. It covered the area of the present-day German states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, and Thüringen. This area was occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II excluding the former eastern lands annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union, with the remaining German territory to the west occupied by the British, American, and French armies. Following the economic and political unification of the three western occupation zones under a single administration and the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949, the German Democratic Republic was founded on 7 October 1949 as a sovereign nation.
The State Council of the German Democratic Republic was the collective head of state of the German Democratic Republic, most commonly referred to as East Germany, from 1960 to 1990.
The Social Democratic Party in the GDR was a reconstituted Social Democratic Party existing during the final phase of East Germany. Slightly less than a year after its creation it merged with its West German counterpart ahead of German reunification.
The National Defense Council of the German Democratic Republic was created in 1960 as the supreme state body of the German Democratic Republic in charge of national defense matters, including mobilization planning. The NVR held the supreme command of the GDR's armed forces, and the NVR's chairman was considered the GDR's commander-in-chief.
Günter Mittag was a German member of parliament, secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), and a central figure in East Germany's command economy.
The Modrow government refers to the final socialist government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), which was led by Socialist Unity Party (SED) official Hans Modrow from November 1989 until East Germany's first democratically elected government took power on 18 March 1990.
Werner Felfe was a German politician and high-ranking party functionary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED).
Günter Sieber was a German politician, diplomat and party functionary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED).
Walter Halbritter was a German civil servant, politician and party functionary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED).
General Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) | |
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| President |  | |
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| Chairmen of the State Council | ||
| President of the People's Chamber | ||
| Minister-President |  | |
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| Chairmen of the Council of Ministers | ||
| Minister-President | ||
