German Democratic Republic

(East Germany, 1949-1990)

See also the Federal Republic of Germany, formerly West Germany. Also visit a detailed page on GDR
Governments since 1990, as part of ZPC, to know more about the ruling parties.
Offices: P.PVDDR: President of the (Provisional) People's Chamber of the GDR; P.DDR:
President of the GDR; V.SDDR; Chairman of the Council of State of the GDR; S/PVDDR:
State President/President of the People's Chamber of the GDR
Parties: SED: Socialist Unity Party (1946-1989, communist); LDPD: German Liberal
Democratic Party; CDU: Christian Democratic Union; PDS: Party of the Democratic
Socialism

Heads of State
Johannes Dieckmann 7 Oct 1949 - 11 Oct 1949 (+1969) P.PVDDR (acting)
SED
Wilhelm Pieck 11 Oct 1949 - 7 Sep 1960 (+) P.DDR
SED
Johannes Dieckmann 7 Sep 1960 - 12 Sep 1960 (+1969) P.VDDR (acting)
SED
Walter Ulbricht 12 Sep 1960 - 1 Aug 1973 (+) V.SDDR
SED
Friedrich Ebert 1 Aug 1973 - 3 Oct 1973 (+1979) V.SDDR (acting)
SED
Willi Stoph 3 Oct 1973 - 29 Oct 1976 (+1999) V.SDDR
SED
Erich Honecker 29 Oct 1976 - 24 Oct 1989 (+1994) V.SDDR
SED
Egon Krenz 24 Oct 1989 - 6 Dec 1989 V.SDDR
SED
Manfred Gerlach 6 Dec 1989 - 5 Apr 1990 V.SDDR (acting)
LDPD (1)
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl 5 Apr 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 S/PVDDR
CDU (2)
(1) LDPD, former member of the SED-dominated National Bloc, joined later the Free Democrats Alliance
(BFD).
(2) CDU was a former party member of the SED-dominated National Bloc.

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers

Otto Grotewohl 12 Oct 1949 - 21 Sep 1964 (+) SED
Willi Stoph 24 Sep 1964 - 3 Oct 1973 (+1999) SED
Horst Sindermann 3 Oct 1973 - 29 Oct 1976 (+1990) SED
Willi Stoph 29 Oct 1976 - 13 Nov 1989 (+1999) SED
Hans Modrow 13 Nov 1989 - 12 Apr 1990 SED-PDS
Lothar de Maizière 12 Apr 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 CDU
 General Secretaries of SED and SED/PDS
Pieck + Grotewohl 21 Apr 1946 - 25 Jul 1950
Walter Ulbricht 25 Jul 1950 - 3 May 1971 (+1973)
Erich Honecker 3 May 1971 - 18 Oct 1989 (+1994)
Egon Krenz 18 Oct 1989 - 3 Dec 1989
Gregor Gysi 9 Dec 1989 - 4 Feb 1990 (3)
(3) As party president (General Secretary, CC and PB abolished 3 Dec 1989). Since 16 Dec 1989 known as
the new SED-PDS. Since 4 Feb 1990 simply as PDS.