Cabinet of Hans Modrow Government of National Responsibility | |
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![]() 13th Cabinet of East Germany | |
![]() Modrow is interviewed in the Palace of the Republic, the seat of the East German government. | |
Date formed | 13 November 1989 |
Date dissolved | 12 April 1990 (4 months and 30 days) |
People and organisations | |
Chairman of the State Council | Egon Krenz Manfred Gerlach |
Chairman of the Council of Ministers | Hans Modrow |
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers | Christa Luft |
Status in legislature | Government of national unity 500 / 500 (100%) |
History | |
Legislature term | 9th Volkskammer |
Predecessor | Sixth Stoph cabinet |
Successor | de Maizière cabinet |
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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.
Background
[edit]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
[edit]Round Table
[edit]As a result of the increasingly fragmented nature of the East German political landscape[3]
Composition
[edit]The Council of Ministers was composed as follows:[4]
Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chairman of the Council of Ministers | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Minister for Economic Affairs | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Minister for Local Government Bodies | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | LDPD | ||
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Minister for Church Affairs | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | CDU | ||
Minister for Foreign Affairs | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister of the Interior | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister of Defence | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister for Finance and Prices | 13 November 1989 | 24 January 1990 | SED | ||
29 January 1990 | 12 April 1990 | SED | |||
Minister for Education | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister for Science and Technology | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | LDPD | ||
Minister for Trade and Supply | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | NDPD | ||
Minister for Construction and Housing | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | CDU | ||
Minister for Foreign Trade | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister for Culture | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister for Tourism | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | LDPD | ||
Minister for Health and Social Affairs | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Minister of Justice | 13 November 1989 | 11 January 1990 | LDPD | ||
11 January 1990 | 12 April 1990 | LDPD | |||
Minister for Post and Telecommunications | Klaus Wolf | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | CDU | |
Minister for Transportation | Heinrich Scholz | 12 April 1990 | February 1990 | SED | |
February 1990 | 2 October 1990 | SED | |||
Minister for Environmental Protection and Water Management | 12 April 1990 | 11 January 1990 | DBD | ||
11 January 1990 | 2 October 1990 | DBD | |||
Minister for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry | Hans Watzek | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | DBD | |
Minister for Labour and Wages | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Head of the Office for National Security | 13 November 1989 | 11 January 1990 | SED | ||
State Secretary and Head of the Office for Youth and Sport | 30 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Ministers without portfolio | 5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | Independent Women's Association | ||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | DA | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | New Forum | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | IFM | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | SPD | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | Green League | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | B90 | |||
5 February 1990 | 12 April 1990 | Green | |||
Government spokesperson and Head of the Press Office | Wolfgang Meyer | 30 November 1989 | 12 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 | December 1989 | February 1990 | SED |
Committees
[edit]Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chairman of the State Planning Commission | 13 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | SED | ||
Chairman of the Economic Committee | 11 January 1990 | 12 April 1990 | SED |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ 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.