List of leaders of administrative divisions of East Germany

This article lists the leaders of administrative divisions of East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; , ). GDR was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990, when the eastern portion of Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.

Until 1952, GDR was divided into 5 states (), from north to south: Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia.

From 1952 until 1990, GDR was divided into 14 Regions (), each named after their capitals, from north to south: Rostock, Neubrandenburg, Schwerin, Potsdam, Frankfurt, Magdeburg, Cottbus, Halle, Leipzig, Erfurt, Dresden, Karl-Marx-Stadt (named Chemnitz until the 1953 Karl Marx Year), Gera and Suhl.

Due to its special status, East Berlin () was originally not counted as a Bezirk. In 1961, after the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the construction of the Berlin Wall, East Berlin came to be recognised in GDR administration as the Bezirk Berlin, though it retained a special status until the adoption of the revised 1968 Constitution.

Officeholders

States (Länder)

Mecklenburg

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 21 April 1946 9 December 1949 1 Kurt Bürger 21 April 1946 28 July 1951 2 Karl Mewis 28 July 1951 1 August 1952

State leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party President of the State Administration 1 Wilhelm Höcker 9 July 1945 31 July 1945 SPD President 1 Wilhelm Höcker 31 July 1945 9 December 1946 SPD SED Ministers-President 1 Wilhelm Höcker 9 December 1946 20 July 1951 SED 2 Kurt Bürger 20 July 1951 28 July 1951† SED 3 Bernhard Quandt 24 August 1951 23 July 1952 SED State Spokesperson (Landessprecher) – Martin Brick(born 1939) 3 August 19902 October 1990 CDU

Brandenburg

Party leader PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Willy Sägebrecht 21 April 1946 23 July 1952 1 Friedrich Ebert Jr. 21 April 1946 4 December 1948 2 4 December 1948 2 December 1949

State leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party President of the Provisional Administration 1 Karl Steinhoff 4 July 1945 20 December 1946 SPD Ministers-President 2 Karl Steinhoff 20 December 1946 5 December 1949 SPD SED 2 Rudolf Jahn 5 December 1949 23 July 1952 SED State Spokesperson (Landessprecher) – Jochen Wolf(1941–2022)3 August 19902 October 1990 SPD

Saxony-Anhalt

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Bernard Koenen 7 April 1946 1 August 1952 1 7 April 1946 4 December 1948 2 Werner Bruschke 4 December 1948 1949

State leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Ministers-President 1 Erhard Hübener 20 July 1945 13 August 1949 LDPD 2 Werner Bruschke 13 August 1949 23 July 1952 SED State Spokesperson (Landessprecher) – Karl-Hermann Steinberg3 August 19902 October 1990 CDU

Saxony

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Wilhelm Koenen 21 April 1946 4 December 1948 2 Otto Buchwitz 21 April 1946 4 December 1948 3 Erich Mückenberger 4 December 1948 9 December 1949 4 Ernst Lohagen 4 December 1948 27 June 1952 5 Karl Schirdewan 27 June 1952 26 July 1952

State leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Ministers-President 1 Rudolf Friedrichs 1 July 1945 13 June 1947† SPD SED 2 Max Seydewitz 31 July 1947 23 July 1952 SED State Spokesperson (Landessprecher) – Rudolf Krause3 August 19902 October 1990 CDU

Thuringia

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 7 April 1946 16 December 1949 1 Werner Eggerath 7 April 1946 6 September 1947 2 Erich Kops 6 September 1947 16 December 1949 3 Erich Mückenberger 16 December 1949 26 July 1952

State leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Leader of the State Administration 1 Rudolf Paul 16 July 1945 4 December 1946 DDP SED Ministers-President 1 Rudolf Paul 4 December 1946 1 September 1947 SED 2 Werner Eggerath 2 September 1947 23 July 1952 SED State Spokesperson (Landessprecher) –Josef Duchač(born 1938)3 August 19902 October 1990 CDU

Regions (Bezirke)

Rostock

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Karl Mewis 1 August 1952 21 July 1961 2 Harry Tisch 21 July 1961 29 April 1975 3 Ernst Timm 29 April 1975 12 November 1989 4 12 November 1989 January 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 1952 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 August 1952 6 August 1952 SED 2 August 1952 May 1959 SED 3 Harry Tisch May 1959 July 1961 SED 4 July 1961 June 1969 SED 5 June 1969 February 1986 SED 6 February 1986 December 1989 SED 7 December 1989 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Neubrandenburg

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 September 1952 August 1953 2 September 1953 October 1960 3 Georg Ewald October 1960 16 February 1963 4 Johannes Chemnitzer 16 February 1963 14 November 1989 5 14 November 1989 11 December 1989 6 Jürgen Zelm 11 December 1989 3 March 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 1952 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 August 1952 December 1953 SED 2 Hans Jendretzky December 1953 February 1957 SED 3 1957 May 1959 SED 4 May 1959 July 1962 SED 5 July 1962 February 1967 SED 6 February 1967 March 1972 SED 7 April 1972 November 1977 SED 8 November 1977 January 1990 SED — January 1990 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Schwerin

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Bernhard Quandt 1 August 1952 28 January 1974 2 Heinz Ziegner 28 January 1974 3 November 1989 3 3 November 1989 December 1989

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 1952 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 August 1952 June 1958 SED 2 June 1958 July 1960 SED 3 July 1960 April 1968 SED 4 April 1968 8 December 1989 SED — Siegfried Hempelt December 1989 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Potsdam

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Kurt Seibt 1 August 1952 April 1956 — Eduard Götzl April 1956 September 1957 Kurt Seibt September 1957 3 June 1964 2 Werner Wittig 3 June 1964 8 January 1976† 3 Günther Jahn 23 January 1976 15 November 1989 4 Heinz Vietze 15 November 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 Curt Wach 1 August 1952 8 August 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 Curt Wach 8 August 1952 January 1953 SED 2 April 1953 February 1957 SED 3 February 1957 June 1960 SED 4 June 1960 December 1962 SED 5 January 1963 May 1971 SED 6 May 1971 February 1974 SED 7 February 1974 June 1977 SED 8 June 1977 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 Jochen Wolf June 1990 2 October 1990 SPD

Frankfurt

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Gerhard Grüneberg 1 August 1952 February 1958 2 Eduard Götzl April 1958 2 August 1961 3 Erich Mückenberger 2 August 1961 22 May 1971 4 22 May 1971 28 August 1988† 5 Christa Zellmer 3 November 1988 11 November 1989 6 Bernd Meier 15 November 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 1 August 1952 8 August 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 8 August 1952 September 1956 SED 2 November 1956 June 1960 SED 3 Hans Albrecht August 1960 March 1963 SED 4 March 1963 May 1969 SED 5 May 1969 November 1989 SED 6 Gundolf Baust 20 November 1989 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 June 1990 2 October 1990 SPD

Magdeburg

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Alois Pisnik 1 August 1952 11 February 1979 2 Kurt Tiedke 11 February 1979 22 June 1983 3 Werner Eberlein 22 June 1983 12 November 1989 4 12 November 1989 December 1989 5 Manfred Dunkel December 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 Josef Hegen 1952 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 Josef Hegen August 1952 June 1953 SED 2 June 1953 20 November 1959 SED — Bruno Kiesler 1957 1958 SED 3 September 1960 June 1985 SED 4 September 1985 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 11 June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Cottbus

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 1 August 1952 August 1953 2 August 1953 May 1969 3 Werner Walde 1 June 1969 9 November 1989 4 13 November 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 1 August 1952 11 August 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 11 August 1952 June 1959 SED 2 July 1959 February 1962 SED — 1962 1962 SED 3 June 1962 May 1971 SED 4 May 1971 April 1989 SED 5 June 1989 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Halle

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Bernard Koenen August 1952 1953 2 1953 September 1954 3 September 1954 April 1958 Bernard Koenen April 1958 February 1963 4 Horst Sindermann February 1963 22 May 1971 5 Werner Felfe 22 May 1971 4 May 1981 6 Hans-Joachim Böhme 4 May 1981 9 November 1989 7 Roland Claus 9 November 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairman of the Bezirk Commission 1 Werner Bruschke 1952 1952 SED Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 Werner Bruschke August 1952 November 1954 SED 2 December 1954 June 1958 SED 3 July 1958 March 1966 SED 4 May 1966 February 1984 SED 5 February 1984 January 1990 SED 6 January 1990 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 Klaus Keitel June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Leipzig

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Karl Schirdewan July 1952 December 1952 2 Paul Fröhlich January 1953 19 September 1970† 3 Horst Schumann 21 November 1970 5 November 1989 4 5 November 1989 February 1990

Government leaders PortraitName Took office Left office Political party Chairmen of the Bezirk Council 1 August 1952 March 1959 SED 2 Erich Grützner April 1959 February 1974 SED 3 February 1974 December 1989 SED 4 December 1989 June 1990 SED Government Commissioner (Regierungsbevollmächtigter) 1 Rudolf Krause June 1990 2 October 1990 CDU

Erfurt

Party leaders PortraitName Took office Left office First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) 1 Erich Mückenberger 26 July 1952 July 1953 2 August 1953 February 1957 3 February 1957 27 June 1958 4 Alois Bräutigam 27 June 1958 11 April 1980 5 Gerhard Müller 11 April 1980 11 November 1989 6 Herbert Kroker 11 November 1989 December 1989

Government leaders