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Council of Ministers of East Germany

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Government of the Republic
Regierung der Republik (German)
Arms of GDR
Overview
Established8 November 1950
Dissolved2 October 1990
StateGerman Democratic Republic
LeaderChairman
(styled Minister President in 1949 Constitution)
Appointed byVolkskammer
Main organCouncil of Ministers
Ministriessee below
HeadquartersAltes Stadthaus, Berlin

The Council of Ministers (German: Ministerrat der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, pronounced [miˈnɪstɐˌʁaːt deːɐ ˌdɔʏtʃn̩ demoˌkʁaːtɪʃn̩ ʁepuˈbliːk]) was the cabinet and executive branch of the German Democratic Republic from November 1950 until the country was reunified on 3 October 1990.[1] Originally formed as a body of 18 members, by 1989 the council consisted of 44 members.

Under the Constitution of East Germany, the Council of Ministers was formally defined as the government of East Germany. The same Constitution, however, officially confirmed the leading role of the Socialist Unity Party (SED). Hence, for most of the GDR's existence, the Council of Ministers was not the highest authority in the country, but was charged with implementing the SED's policies into practical administration. In particular, ministers were subordinate to the secretary of the Central Committee responsible for their portfolio, and, at least unofficially, to the General Secretary.

Structure

[edit]
Group photo of Council of Ministers in 1981

The Council was led by a chairman (Vorsitzender), who was usually called "prime minister" in non-German sources. There were two first deputy chairmen and nine other deputy chairmen. Together with some key ministers they formed the presidency (Präsidium) of the Council. The Präsidium prepared all decisions in consultation with the responsible departments of the Central Committee (Zentralkomitee) of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and especially the Politbüro of the SED Central Committee. The Präsidium managed the day-to-day affairs of the Council between its weekly meetings, which took place regularly on Wednesdays to execute the resolutions of the Politbüro’s weekly meetings (on Tuesdays). The secretaries and department managers in the Central Committee were authorized to give instructions to the ministers as necessary.

Officially, the prime minister held the highest state post in the GDR. Despite this, no SED first secretary/general secretary ever simultaneously served as prime minister.

The Altes Stadthaus in Berlin, seat of the Ministerrat der DDR from 1961 until 1990

Until the Wende in the fall of 1989, the two first deputy chairmen were Werner Krolikowski and Alfred Neumann, who were both members of the SED Politbüro. Other deputy chairmen included the leaders of the four allied parties (Blockparteien). Additional members included the chairman of the State Planning Commission, the president of the Staatsbank der DDR (State Bank of the GDR) and some state secretaries, who were usually office directors at the Council. All members of the Council were selected by the GDR Volkskammer (parliament) for a term of five years. Within the centralized state structure of the GDR, the city, county and district administrations were subordinated to the Council.

Willi Stoph and his entire cabinet resigned on 7 November 1989. Stoph was succeeded by Hans Modrow. The SED gave up its monopoly of power on 1 December. Modrow continued in office, leading a cabinet with both SED/PDS and non-communist members.[1] For much of the winter of 1989 and 1990, he was the de facto leader of East Germany. Modrow was succeeded by Lothar de Maizière after what turned out to be the only free election ever held in East Germany, in March 1990. The de Maizière cabinet presided over the transition period to the reunification of the two Germanies in October 1990.

The former Prussian state parliament (Preußischer Landtag) served as the seat of the Council from 1950 to 1953. From 1961 to 1990 the Council's offices were located in the former Old City Hall of Berlin at No. 47 Klosterstraße. The Law Gazette of the GDR (Gesetzblatt der DDR) was also published by the Council. In addition, the Council’s Press Office made official government announcements and was responsible for the accreditation of foreign journalists in the GDR.

The individual ministries had their own headquarters buildings in East Berlin, although the former Reich Air Ministry building on Leipziger Straße housed the industrially-oriented ministries.

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers

[edit]
No. Portrait Chairman Took office Left office Time in office Party Election Cabinet
Minister-President of the German Democratic Republic
1
Otto Grotewohl
Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl
(1894–1964)
12 October 19498 December 1958
(office renamed)
9 years, 57 daysSEDProvisional Volkskammer (1949)
1st Volkskammer (1950)
2nd Volkskammer (1954)
Grotewohl I
Grotewohl II
Grotewohl III
Chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic
1
Otto Grotewohl
Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl
(1894–1964)
8 December 195821 September 1964 †5 years, 288 daysSED3rd Volkskammer (1958)
4th Volkskammer (1963)
Grotewohl IV
Grotewohl V
2
Willi Stoph
Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)
21 September 19643 October 19739 years, 12 daysSED4th Volkskammer (1963)
5th Volkskammer (1967)
6th Volkskammer (1971)
Stoph I [de]
Stoph II [de]
Stoph III [de]
3
Horst Sindermann
Sindermann, HorstHorst Sindermann
(1915–1990)
3 October 197329 October 19763 years, 26 daysSED6th Volkskammer (1971)Sindermann [de]
(2)
Willi Stoph
Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)
29 October 197613 November 198913 years, 15 daysSED7th Volkskammer (1976)
8th Volkskammer (1981)
9th Volkskammer (1986)
Stoph IV [de]
Stoph V [de]
Stoph VI [de]
4
Hans Modrow
Modrow, HansHans Modrow
(1928–2023)
13 November 198912 April 1990150 daysSED
PDS
9th Volkskammer (1986)Modrow
Minister-President of the German Democratic Republic
5
Lothar de Maizière
Maizière, LotharLothar de Maizière
(born 1940)
12 April 19902 October 1990173 daysCDU10th Volkskammer [de] (1990)de Maizière

Ministries

[edit]
Name of the ministry Minister (party) Term of office Cabinet
Labor and Vocational Training

(until 1954: Labor)

Roman Chwalek (SED) 1950–1953 1st Council of Ministers
Friedrich Macher (SED) 1953–1958 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Foreign Affairs Georg Dertinger (CDU) 1949–1953 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Lothar Bolz (NDPD) 1953–1965 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Otto Winzer (SED) 1965–1975† 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Oskar Fischer (SED) 1975–1990 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Markus Meckel (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Lothar de Maizière (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Construction
(until 1958: Reconstruction;
1989–1990: Construction and Housing;
from 1990: Construction, Urban Development, and Housing)[2]
Lothar Bolz (NDPD) 1949–1953 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Heinz Winkler (SED) 1953–1958 2nd Council of Ministers
Ernst Scholz (SED) 1958–1963 3rd Council of Ministers
Wolfgang Junker (SED) 1963–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Gerhard Baumgärtel (CDU) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Axel Viehweger (LDPD/FDP) 1990 de Maizière government
Finance

(1989–1990: Finance and Prices)

Hans Loch (LDPD) 1949–1955 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Willy Rumpf (SED) 1955–1966 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Siegfried Böhm (SED) 1966–1980† 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Werner Schmieder (SED) 1980–1981 7th Council of Ministers
Ernst Höfner (SED) 1981–1989 8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Uta Nickel (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Walter Siegert (SED-PDS) (acting) 1990 Modrow government
Walter Romberg (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Werner Skowron (CDU) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Transport Hans Reingruber (Cultural Association of the GDR) 1949–1953 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Erwin Kramer (SED)

also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

1954–1970
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
Otto Arndt (SED)

also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

1970–1989 5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Heinrich Scholz

also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

1989–1990 Modrow government
Herbert Keddi (SED-PDS) 1990 Modrow government
Horst Gebenner (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Post and Telecommunications Friedrich Burmeister (CDU) 1949–1963 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Rudolph Schulze (CDU) 1963–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Klaus Wolf (CDU) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Emil Schnell (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Hans-Jürgen Niehof (FDP) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Culture Johannes R. Becher (SED) 1954–1958† 2nd Council of Ministers
Alexander Abusch (SED) 1958–1961 3rd Council of Ministers
Hans Bentzien (SED) 1961–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Klaus Gysi (SED) 1966–1973 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Hans-Joachim Hoffmann (SED) 1973–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Dietmar Keller (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Herbert Schirmer (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Church Affairs

(1957–1989: Secretariat for Church Affairs)

Werner Eggerath (SED) 1957–1960 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Hans Seigewasser (SED) 1960–1979† 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Klaus Gysi (SED) 1979–1988 7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Kurt Löffler (SED) 1988–1989 9th Council of Ministers
upgraded from state secretary to minister
Lothar de Maizière (CDU) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Agriculture

(1963–1968: Agricultural Council;
1968–1971: Council for Agricultural Production and Food Economy)[3]

Ernst Goldenbaum (DBD) 1949–1950 Provisional Government of the GDR
Paul Scholz (DBD) 1950–1952 1st Council of Ministers
Wilhelm Schröder (DBD) 1952–1953 1st Council of Ministers
Hans Reichelt (DBD) 1953 1st Council of Ministers
Paul Scholz (DBD) 1953–1955 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Hans Reichelt (DBD) 1955–1963 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Karl-Heinz Bartsch (SED) 1963 3rd Council of Ministers
Georg Ewald (SED) 1963–1973† 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Heinz Kuhrig (SED) 1973–1982 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Bruno Lietz (SED) 1982–1989 8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Hans Watzek (DBD) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Peter Pollack (independent/SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Peter Kauffold (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Gottfried Haschke (CDU) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
People's Education
(until 1950: People's Education and Youth;
from 1989: Education and Youth)[4]
Paul Wandel (SED) 1949–1952 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Elisabeth Zaisser (SED) 1952–1954 1st Council of Ministers
Fritz Lange (SED) 1954–1958 2nd Council of Ministers
Alfred Lemmnitz (SED) 1958–1963 3rd Council of Ministers
Margot Honecker (SED) 1963–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Günther Fuchs (SED) (acting) 1989 9th Council of Ministers
Hans-Heinz Emons (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
dissolved to new Ministry of Education and Science
Higher and Technical Education

(1951–1958: State Secretariat for Higher Education;
1958–1967: State Secretariat for Higher and Technical Education)

Gerhard Harig (SED) 1951–1957 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Wilhelm Girnus (SED) 1957–1962 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Ernst-Joachim Gießmann (SED) 1962–1967 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
upgraded from state secretary to minister
Ernst-Joachim Gießmann (SED) 1967–1970 5th Council of Ministers
Hans-Joachim Böhme (SED) 1970–1989 5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to Ministry of Education and Youth
Science and Technology

(from 1990: Research and Technology)

Herbert Weiz (SED) 1974–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Peter-Klaus Budig (LDPD) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Frank Terpe (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Hans Joachim Meyer (CDU) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Health

(until 1958: Labor and Health;
1989 to 1990: Health and Social Affairs)

Luitpold Steidle (CDU) 1949–1958 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Max Sefrin (CDU) 1958–1971 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
Ludwig Mecklinger (SED) 1971–1988 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Klaus Thielmann (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Jürgen Kleditzsch (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Geology Manfred Bochmann (SED) 1974–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Heavy Industry
Environmental Protection and Water Management
(from 1990: Environmental and Nature Conservation,
Reactor Safety and Energy)
Werner Titel (DBD) 1971† 6th Council of Ministers
Hans Reichelt (DBD) 1972–1990 6th Council of Ministers
7th Ministerrat
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Peter Diederich (DBD) 1990 Modrow government
Karl-Hermann Steinberg (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Trade and Supply Karl Hamann (LDPD) 1949–1952 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Curt Wach (SED) 1953–1959 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Curt-Heinz Merkel (SED) 1959–1963 3rd Council of Ministers
Gerhard Lucht (SED) 1963–1965 4th Council of Ministers
Günter Sieber (SED) 1965–1972 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Gerhard Briksa (SED) 1972–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Manfred Flegel (NDPD) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Foreign Trade Georg Ulrich Handke (SED) 1949–1952 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Kurt Gregor (SED) 1952–1954 1st Council of Ministers
Heinrich Rau (SED) 1955–1961† 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Julius Balkow (SED) 1961–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Horst Sölle (SED) 1965–1986 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Gerhard Beil (SED) 1986–1990 9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Justice Max Fechner (SED) 1949–1953 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Hilde Benjamin (SED) 1953–1967 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Kurt Wünsche (LDPD) 1967–1972 5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Hans-Joachim Heusinger (LDPD) 1972–1990 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Kurt Wünsche (LDPD/FDP) 1990 Modrow government
de Maizière government
Manfred Walther (CDU) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Minister-President's Office

(1949–1954: Government Chancellery;
1954–1962: Office of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers;
1962–1974: Office of the Council of Ministers;
1974–1990: Secretariat of the Council of Ministers)

Rudi Geyer (SED) 1949–1956 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Anton Plenikowski (SED) 1956–1963 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Rudolf Rost (SED) 1963–1975 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Kurt Kleinert (SED) 1974–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Harry Möbis (SED) 1989–1990 Modrow government
upgraded from state secretary to minister
Klaus Reichenbach (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government

New Ministries from 1989/1990

[edit]
Name of the ministry Minister Term of office Cabinet
Mechanical Engineering Karl Grünheid (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Hans-Joachim Lauck (SED-PDS) 1990 Modrow government
dissolved to Ministry of Economy
Heavy Industry Kurt Singhuber (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
dissolved to Ministry of Economy
Economy Christa Luft (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Gerhard Pohl (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Gunter Halm (LDPD/FDP) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Tourism Bruno Benthien (LDPD) 1989/1990 Modrow government
Sybille Reider (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Lothar Engel (independent) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Labor and Wages

(from 1990: Labor and Social Affairs)

Hannelore Mensch (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Regine Hildebrandt (SPD) 1990 de Maizière government
Jürgen Kleditzsch (CDU) (acting) 1990 de Maizière government
Family and Women Christa Schmidt (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Education and Science Hans Joachim Meyer (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Youth and Sports Cordula Schubert (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Media Policy Gottfried Müller (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Economic Cooperation Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling (DSU/CDU) 1990 de Maizière government

Ministries of the armed forces

[edit]
Name of the ministry Minister (party) Term of office Cabinet
Ministry of the Interior Karl Steinhoff (SED) 1949–1952 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Willi Stoph (SED) 1952–1955 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Karl Maron (SED) 1955–1963 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Friedrich Dickel (SED) 1963–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Lothar Ahrendt (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Peter-Michael Diestel (DSU/CDU) 1990 de Maizière government
Ministry for State Security
(1953–1955: State Secretariat for State Security;
since 1989: Office for National Security)
Wilhelm Zaisser (SED) 1950–1953 1st Council of Ministers
downgraded from minister to state secretary in the Ministry of Interior
Ernst Wollweber (SED) 1953–1955 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
upgraded from state secretary in the Ministry of Interior to minister
Ernst Wollweber (SED) 1955–1957 2nd Council of Ministers
Erich Mielke (SED) 1957–1989 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Wolfgang Schwanitz (SED-PDS) 1989[a] Modrow government
Ministry dissolved
Ministry of National Defense
(from 1990: Ministry of Disarmament and Defense)
Willi Stoph (SED) 1956–1961 2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Heinz Hoffmann (SED) 1961–1985† 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Heinz Keßler (SED) 1985–1989 8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Theodor Hoffmann (SED-PDS) 1989–1990 Modrow government
Rainer Eppelmann (DA/CDU) 1990 De Maizière government

Industry ministries

[edit]

In addition to the departments that are usual in every government, the Council of Ministers was characterized by a large number of industry ministries that were set up from 1950 onwards. The State Planning Commission was a central organ of the Council of Ministers ("Planning authority 1st level") to coordinate the work of the individual industry ministries ("Planning authority 2nd level"). 1958[5] the industrial ministries were dissolved and merged in 1961[5] in the newly founded People's Economic Council (VWR). The chairman of the VWR was Alfred Neumann (SED). These organizational changes occurred in the course of the introduction of the New Economic System of Planning and Management (NÖSPL). The VWR was abolished again in 1965 and individual industrial ministries were set up again. As before, these were subordinate to the State Planning Commission.

In 1972, the Ministry for the Glass and Ceramics Industry was formed from parts of the glass and fine ceramics industry of various other ministries. The next major change occurred in 1973, when the Ministry of Processing Machinery and Vehicle Construction was split into two ministries, the Ministry of General Machinery, Agricultural Machinery and Vehicle Construction and the Ministry of Tool and Processing Machine Construction.

In 1989, a far-reaching restructuring of the industry ministries took place: the ministries for Bezirk-managed industry and food industry and the glass and ceramics industry were dissolved, and the business areas were transferred to the Ministry of Light Industry on January 1, 1990. The ministries for mechanical and vehicle construction, tool and processing machine construction, heavy machinery and plant construction, and electrical engineering and electronics were transferred to a newly formed Ministry of Mechanical Engineering. Karl Grünheid (SED), previously the long-standing minister for the glass and ceramics industry, became minister. A Ministry of Heavy Industry was also newly formed, which was made up of the ministries for geology, ore mining, metallurgy and potash, chemical industry, and coal and energy. The new minister was Kurt Singhuber (SED), who had previously been the long-serving minister for ore mining, metallurgy and potash. The Ministry of Materials Management, however, was incorporated into the State Planning Commission.

In the de Maizière government the three remaining industrial ministries of light industry, heavy industry and mechanical engineering as well as the Economic Committee for the Implementation of Economic Reform, successor to the State Planning Commission, were incorporated into the Ministry of Economics, which had only been founded in 1989.

Name of the ministry Minister (party) Term of office Cabinet
Ore Mining, Metallurgy and Potash

(1950 to 1955: Metallurgy and Ore Mining;

1955 to 1958: Mining and Metallurgy)

Fritz Selbmann (SED) 1950–1955 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Rudolf Steinwand (SED) 1955–1958 2nd Council of Ministers
Ministry dissolved 1958–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Kurt Fichtner (SED) 1965–1967 4th Council of Ministers
Kurt Singhuber (SED) 1967–1989 5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Heavy Industry
Electrical Engineering and Electronics Otfried Steger (SED) 1965–1982 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Felix Meier (SED) 1982–1989 8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Mechanical Engineering
Coal and Energy

(1965 to 1971: Basic Industries)

Richard Goschütz (SED) 1956–1958 2nd Council of Ministers
Ministry dissolved 1958–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Klaus Siebold (SED) 1965–1979 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Wolfgang Mitzinger (SED) 1979–1989 7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Heavy Industry
Chemical Industry

(1951–1953 State Secretariat for Chemistry, Minerals and Earth;
1953–1955 State Secretariat for Chemistry)

Dirk van Rickelen (SED) 1951–1953 1st Council of Ministers
Werner Winkler (SED) 1953–1955 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
upgraded from state secretary to minister
Werner Winkler (SED) 1955–1958 2nd Council of Ministers
Ministry dissolved 1958–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Siegbert Löschau (SED) 1965–1966 4th Council of Ministers
Günther Wyschofsky (SED) 1966–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Heavy Industry
Glass and Ceramics Industry Karl Bettin (SED) 1971–1972 6th Council of Ministers
Werner Greiner-Petter (SED) 1972–1983 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Karl Grünheid (SED) 1983–1989 8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to Ministry of Light Industry
Materials Management

(1950–1952 State Secretariat for Materials Supply;
1952–1953 State Administration for Materials Supply;

1953–1954 State Committee for Materials Supply)

Erwin Kerber (SED) 1950–1952 1st Council of Ministers
State Secretariat dissolved 1952–1965 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Alfred Neumann (SED) 1965–1968 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
Erich Haase (SED) 1968–1971 5th Council of Ministers
Manfred Flegel (NDPD) 1971–1974 6th Council of Ministers
Wolfgang Rauchfuß (SED) 1974–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to State Planning Commission
Machine Tools and Processing Machine Construction

(1965 to 1973: Machine Tools and Vehicle Construction)

Rudi Georgi (SED) 1965–1973 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
split into Ministry of General Mechanical Engineering,

Agricultural Machinery and Vehicle Construction and Ministry of Machine Tools and Processing Machine Construction

Rudi Georgi (SED) 1973–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Mechanical Engineering
General Mechanical Engineering,

Agricultural Machinery and Vehicle Construction

split from Ministry of Machine Tools and Vehicle Construction
Günther Kleiber (SED) 1973–1986 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
Gerhard Tautenhahn (SED) 1986–1989 9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Mechanical Engineering
Heavy Machinery and Plant Engineering Gerhard Zimmermann (SED) 1965–1981 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Rolf Kersten (SED) 1981–1986 8th Council of Ministers
Hans-Joachim Lauck (SED) 1986–1989 9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Mechanical Engineering
Light Industry Wilhelm Feldmann (NDPD) 1950–1958 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Ministry dissolved 1958–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Johann Wittik (SED) 1965–1972 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Karl Bettin (SED) 1972–1978 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Werner Buschmann (SED) 1978–1989 7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Gunter Halm (NDPD) 1989–1990 Modrow government
dissolved to Ministry of Economy
Bezirk-managed Industry and Food Industry

(1953 to 1958: Food Industry)

Kurt Westphal (SED) 1953–1958 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Ministry dissolved 1958–1965 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
Erhard Krack (SED) 1965–1974 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
Udo-Dieter Wange (SED) 1974–1989 6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to Ministry of Light Industry

Commissions and offices equivalent to ministries

[edit]
Name of the position in the Council of Ministers Minister (party) Term of office Cabinet
State Planning Commission

(until 1950: Ministry of Planning;
from 1990: Economic Committee for the Implementation of Economic Reform)

Heinrich Rau (SED) 1949–1952 Provisional Government of the GDR
1st Council of Ministers
Bruno Leuschner (SED) 1952–1961 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
3rd Council of Ministers
Karl Mewis (SED) 1961–1963 3rd Council of Ministers
Erich Apel (SED) 1963–1965† 4th Council of Ministers
Gerhard Schürer (SED) 1965–1990 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Modrow government
Karl Grünheid (SED) 1990 Modrow government
dissolved to Ministry of Economy
Minister and Chairman of the Committee
of the Workers' and Farmers' Inspection
Heinz Matthes (SED) 1963–1977 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
Albert Stief (SED) 1977–1989 7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
ABI dissolved
Minister and Head of the Office for Prices Walter Halbritter (SED) 1965–1989 4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
dissolved to new Ministry of Finance and Prices
Head of the Press Office Fritz Beyling (SED) 1953–1958 1st Council of Ministers
2nd Council of Ministers
Kurt Blecha (SED) 1958–1989 3rd Council of Ministers
4th Council of Ministers
5th Council of Ministers
6th Council of Ministers
7th Council of Ministers
8th Council of Ministers
9th Council of Ministers
Wolfgang Meyer (SED) 1989–1990 Modrow government
demoted to state secretary in the Minister-President's Office
Matthias Gehler (CDU) 1990 de Maizière government

Other government offices of the Council of Ministers

[edit]

In addition, independent state secretariats and central offices were directly subordinate to the Council of Ministers, including

In some cases, their heads acted as members of the Council of Ministers.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Starcevi, Nesha (8 November 1989) East German Government Resigns, Pro-Reform Marches Continue in AP News. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Minister's Department" (in German). Federal Archives. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  3. ^ "Organization, tasks and development of the central state bodies of agriculture and forestry 1945–1990". Bundesarchiv. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  4. ^ before: German Central Administration for Public Education
  5. ^ a b Archived (Date missing) at bundesarchiv.de (Error: unknown archive URL). In: Das Bundesarchiv. Article from April 13, 2010. Website of the Federal Archives. Retrieved on October 11, 2011.
  1. ^ On leave of absence from 14 December 1989 to 11 January 1990