Leadership of East Germany

Leadership of East Germany
	National emblem of East Germany
	Last General Secretary; Egon Krenz; 18 October 1989 – 6 December 1989
Residence	Schönhausen Palace; Majakowskiring; Waldsiedlung
Formation	7 October 1949
First holder	Wilhelm Pieck; Otto Grotewohl; (first Party Chairmen); Wilhelm Pieck; (first head of state); Otto Grotewohl; (first head of government);
Final holder	Egon Krenz; (last General Secretary); Sabine Bergmann-Pohl; (last head of state); Lothar de Maizière; (last head of government);
Abolished	6 December 1989 /; 18 March 1990; (Communist rule ended); 3 October 1990; (German reunification);

The political leadership of East Germany was in the hands of several offices.

Prior to the proclamation of an East German state, the Soviets established in 1948 the German Economic Commission (DWK) 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 the governmental functions over from the DWK. (Largely with the same function owners.)

For most of its existence (until autumn of 1989), the most important position in the GDR was that of the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) (titled as the First Secretary between 1953–1976). The Communist party and its leader held ultimate power and authority over state and government.

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

Government was headed by the Council of Ministers and its chairman, sometimes colloquially called Prime Minister.

Other important institutions included the People's Chamber, whose sessions were chaired by a President of the People's Chamber, 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 late in 1989, which saw the SED having to relinquish its monopoly on political power and the National Defense Council and the State Council being abolished. The remaining institutions were the People's Chamber, whose President by default became head of state for the remainder of the GDR's existence, and the Council of Ministers, both now based on the country's first and only democratic elections in March 1990. The GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990

Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

Logo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
Joint Chairmen of the Socialist Unity Party Vorsitzende der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands
.	Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	22 April 1946	25 July 1950	4 years, 94 days	SED
.	Grotewohl, OttoOtto 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	Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	25 July 1950	3 May 1971	20 years, 282 days	SED
2	Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	3 May 1971	18 October 1989	18 years, 168 days	SED
3	Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED
(Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee Vorsitzender des Zentralkommitees
1	Ulbricht, WalterWalter 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.

Heads of state

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
President of the Republic Präsident der Republik
–	Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting	7 October 1949	11 October 1949	4 days	LDPD
1	Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	11 October 1949	7 September 1960 †	10 years, 332 days	SED
–	Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting	7 September 1960	12 September 1960	5 days	LDPD
Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrats
1	Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	12 September 1960	1 August 1973 †	12 years, 323 days	SED
–	Ebert Jr., FriedrichFriedrich Ebert Jr. (1894–1979) Acting	1 August 1973	3 October 1973	63 days	SED
2	Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	3 years, 26 days	SED
3	Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	29 October 1976	24 October 1989	12 years, 354 days	SED
4	Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	24 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED
5	Gerlach, ManfredManfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	6 December 1989	5 April 1990	120 days	LDPD
President of the People's Chamber Präsident der Volkskammer
1	Bergmann-Pohl, SabineSabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	180 days	CDU

Heads of government

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vorsitzender des Ministerrats
1	Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl (1894–1964)	12 October 1949	21 September 1964 †	14 years, 345 days	SED
2	Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	21 September 1964	3 October 1973	9 years, 12 days	SED
3	Sindermann, HorstHorst Sindermann (1915–1990)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	3 years, 26 days	SED
(2)	Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph (1914–1999)	29 October 1976	13 November 1989	13 years, 15 days	SED
4	Modrow, HansHans Modrow (born 1928)	13 November 1989	12 April 1990	150 days	SED PDS
5	de Maizière, LotharLothar de Maizière (born 1940)	12 April 1990	2 October 1990	173 days	CDU

Heads of parliament

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
President of the People's Chamber Präsident der Volkskammer
1	Dieckmann, JohannesJohannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	7 October 1949	22 February 1969 †	19 years, 138 days	LDPD
2	Götting, GeraldGerald Götting (1923–2015)	12 May 1969	29 October 1976	7 years, 170 days	CDU
3	Sindermann, HorstHorst Sindermann (1915–1990)	29 October 1976	13 November 1989	13 years, 15 days	SED
4	Maleuda, GüntherGünther Maleuda (1931–2012)	13 November 1989	5 April 1990	143 days	DBD
5	Bergmann-Pohl, SabineSabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	180 days	CDU

Heads of the military

Standard of the Chairman of the National Defence Council

No.	Chairman of the National Defense Council Vorsitzender des Nationalen Verteidigungsrates	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
1	Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	10 February 1960	3 May 1971	11 years, 82 days	SED
2	Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	3 May 1971	18 October 1989	18 years, 168 days	SED
3	Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED

External links

World Statesmen – East Germany

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