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Modrow government





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The Modrow government refers to the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) 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. Until February 1990, it was the last socialist government of the GDR. From February onward, it was a national unity government including members of the opposition, making it the first true coalition government of the GDR.

Cabinet of Hans Modrow
Government of National Responsibility

13th Cabinet of East Germany
Modrow is interviewed in the Palace of the Republic, the seat of the East German government.
Date formed13 November 1989 (1989-11-13)
Date dissolved12 April 1990 (1990-04-12)
(4 months and 30 days)
People and organisations
Chairman of the State CouncilEgon Krenz
Manfred Gerlach
Chairman of
the Council of Ministers
Hans Modrow
Deputy Chairman of
the Council of Ministers
Christa Luft
Status in legislatureGovernment of national unity
500 / 500 (100%)

History
Legislature term9th Volkskammer
PredecessorSixth Stoph cabinet
Successorde Maizière cabinet

Background

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Spurred on by the liberal policies of Glasnost and Perestroika in the Soviet Union, and Mikhail Gorbachev's apparent tolerance of liberal reforms in other countries in the Warsaw Pact, protests began to spread in the German Democratic Republic in 1989. This culminated in a large increase in citizens escaping from the country during the summer of 1989 after Hungary dismantled its portion of the Iron Curtain. At the same time opposition to the incumbent SED was growing - on 9 October 1989, for example, 70,000 people took part in a demonstration in Leipzig calling for free elections and other democratic rights which had been denied to East German citizens since the founding of the GDR. On 18 October 1989 Erich Honecker was ousted as leader by his Politburo as a result of his unwillingness to confront the societal problems which had led to the mass exodus and political protest.[1] The relatively youthful Egon Krenz who was chosen as successor proved to be ineffective, and on 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall was opened, becoming a symbol of the SED's complete loss of power. Within the first four days of the Wall's opening, 4.3 million people or 25% of the East German population had made the trip across the border to West Germany with many choosing to remain there to take advantage of the higher quality of life. Since 8 November a new Politburo had been in power when the previous one had unanimously resigned. Amongst the new members was former First Secretary of the SED in Dresden Hans Modrow. Despite the personnel change the new government was unable to bring stability to the situation, with increased absenteeism through emigration and citizens taking trips to West Germany placing higher pressure on the East German economy.[2]

Formation

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Round Table

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As a result of the increasingly fragmented nature of the East German political landscape[3]

Composition

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The Council of Ministers was composed as follows:[4]

Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Chairman of the Council of Ministers

Hans Modrow

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Economic Affairs

Christa Luft

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Local Government Bodies

Peter Moreth

13 November 198912 April 1990 LDPD
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Church Affairs

Lothar de Maizière

13 November 198912 April 1990 CDU
Minister for Foreign Affairs

Oskar Fischer

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister of the Interior

Lothar Ahrendt

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister of Defence

Theodor Hoffmann

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister for Finance and Prices

Uta Nickel

13 November 198924 January 1990 SED

Walter Siegert [de]

29 January 199012 April 1990 SED
Minister for Education

Hans-Heinz Emons [de]

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister for Science and Technology

Peter-Klaus Budig [de]

13 November 198912 April 1990 LDPD
Minister for Trade and Supply

Manfred Flegel [de]

13 November 198912 April 1990 NDPD
Minister for Construction and Housing

Gerhard Baumgärtel

13 November 198912 April 1990 CDU
Minister for Foreign Trade

Gerhard Beil

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister for Culture

Dietmar Keller

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister for Tourism

Bruno Benthien [de]

13 November 198912 April 1990 LDPD
Minister for Health and Social Affairs

Klaus Thielmann [de]

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Minister of Justice

Hans-Joachim Heusinger

13 November 198911 January 1990 LDPD

Kurt Wünsche

11 January 199012 April 1990 LDPD
Minister for Post and Telecommunications

Klaus Wolf

13 November 198912 April 1990 CDU
Minister for Transportation

Heinrich Scholz

12 April 1990February 1990 SED

Herbert Keddi [de]

February 19902 October 1990 SED
Minister for Environmental Protection and Water Management

Hans Reichelt

12 April 199011 January 1990 DBD

Peter Diederich [de]

11 January 19902 October 1990 DBD
Minister for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry

Hans Watzek

13 November 198912 April 1990 DBD
Minister for Labour and Wages

Hannelore Mensch

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Head of the Office for National Security

Wolfgang Schwanitz

13 November 198911 January 1990 SED
State Secretary and Head of the Office for Youth and Sport

Wilfried Poßner [de]

30 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Ministers without portfolio

Tatjana Böhm

5 February 199012 April 1990 Independent Women's Association

Rainer Eppelmann

5 February 199012 April 1990 DA

Sebastian Pflugbeil [de]

5 February 199012 April 1990 New Forum

Gerd Poppe [de]

5 February 199012 April 1990 IFM

Walter Romberg

5 February 199012 April 1990 SPD

Klaus Schlüter [de]

5 February 199012 April 1990 Green League

Wolfgang Ullmann

5 February 199012 April 1990 B90

Matthias Platzeck

5 February 199012 April 1990 Green
Government spokesperson and Head of the Press Office

Wolfgang Meyer

30 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Representative of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers
for the Central Round Table and for the dissolution of the Office for National Security

Walter Halbritter

December 1989February 1990 SED

Committees

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Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Chairman of the State Planning Commission

Gerhard Schürer

13 November 198912 April 1990 SED
Chairman of the Economic Committee

Karl Grünheid [de]

11 January 199012 April 1990 SED

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dennis, Mike (2000). The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990. London: Pearson Education. pp. 286–287. ISBN 0582245621.
  • ^ Childs, David (2001). The Fall of the GDR - Germany's Road to Unity. London: Pearson Education. pp. 86–89. ISBN 0582315697.
  • ^ Niedermayer, Oskar (December 1995). "Party System Change in East Germany". German Politics. 4 (3). Frank Cass: 80. doi:10.1080/09644009508404414.
  • ^ Sommer, Lothar. "Neutrales Deutschland - Geschichtliches". www.neutrales-deutschland.de (in German). Retrieved 2015-05-26.

  • Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Modrow_government&oldid=1230846872"
     



    Last edited on 25 June 2024, at 01:37  





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