Leadership of East Germany

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

Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

|-align="center"
! colspan=7|Joint Chairmen of the Socialist Unity Party

|-align="center"
! colspan=7| General Secretary of the Central Committee

|-align="center"
! colspan=7| (Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee

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
  Picture Name Took office Left office Political PartyPresident of the Republic 60px  Johannes Dieckmann  7 October 1949  11 October 1949  LDPD 1 60px  Wilhelm Pieck  11 October 1949  7 September 1960  SED 60px  Johannes Dieckmann  7 September 1960   12 September 1960  LDPD Chairman of the State Council 1 60px  Walter Ulbricht  12 September 1960  1 August 1973  SED 60px  Friedrich Ebert Jr.  1 August 1973  3 October 1973  SED 2 60px  Willi Stoph  3 October 1973  29 October 1976  SED 3 60px  Erich Honecker  29 October 1976  18 October 1989  SED 4 60px  Egon Krenz  18 October 1989  6 December 1989  SED 5 60px  Manfred Gerlach  6 December 1989  5 April 1990  LDPDPresident of the People's Chamber of the GDR 1 60px  Sabine Bergmann-Pohl  5 April 1990  2 October 1990  CDU

Heads of government
  Picture Name Took office Left office Political PartyChairman of the Council of Ministers 1 60px  Otto Grotewohl  12 October 1949  21 September 1964  SED 2 60px  Willi Stoph  21 September 1964  3 October 1973  SED 3 60px  Horst Sindermann  3 October 1973  29 October 1976  SED (2) 60px  Willi Stoph  29 October 1976  13 November 1989  SED 4 60px  Hans Modrow  13 November 1989  12 April 1990  SED / PDS 5 60px  Lothar de Maizière  12 April 1990  2 October 1990  CDU

Heads of parliament
  Picture Name Took office Left office Political PartyPresident of the People's Chamber 1 60px  Johannes Dieckmann  7 October 1949  22 February 1969  LDPD 2 60px  Gerald Götting  12 May 1969  29 October 1976  CDU 3 60px  Horst Sindermann  29 October 1976  13 November 1989  SED 4 60px  Günther Maleuda  13 November 1989  5 April 1990  DBD 5 60px  Sabine Bergmann-Pohl  5 April 1990  2 October 1990  CDU

Heads of the military

Other websites
World StatesmenEast Germany

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