Ministerrat

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

The Ministerrat ("Council of Ministers") was the chief executive body of the East Germany since November 1950 until East Germany dissolved in 1990. It had 18 members in the beginning and 44 members in 1989.

1 Structure
2 Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister)
3 Ministries
4 See also

[edit] Structure

The Council of Ministers of the GDR was led by a chairman (Prime Minister). There were two First Deputy chairmen and nine further deputy chairmen. Together with some specialized Ministers they formed the presidency of the Council of Ministers. The presidency prepared all decisions in arrangement with the responsible departments of the central committee (ZK) the SED and the SED Politbüro. The secretaries and department manager in the ZK of the SED could give instructions to the Ministers. First deputy of the chairman of the Council of Ministers were up to the turn 1989 Werner Krolikowski and Alfred Neumann, both members of the Politburo of the Central Comittee of the SED. Alfred Neumann was already before under Ulbricht of chairmen of the national economy advice. Further deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers were prominent in each case representatives of the four coalitions. Belonged to the Council of Ministers likewise the chairman of the national plan commission, the president of the state bank 9 of the East Germany and some undersecretaries of state, who were usually even leaders of offices at the Council of Ministers. All members of the Council of Ministers- thus also the Ministers- were selected by the Volkskammer for in each case five years. The presidency was the work organ between the weekly meetings of the Council of Ministers. These took place regularly on Wednesdays for the execution of the resolutions of the Politbürositzung at the ZK of the SED of Tuesday. In the centralistic structure of state of the GDR the Council of Ministers as further management levels the advice of the districts and the advice of the city and districts were subordinate.

Service seat of the Council of Ministers was from 1950 to 1953 the earlier Prussian federal state parliament, starting from 1961 former old persons the city hall in Berlin center in the monastery route 47. Also the law gazette of the GDR was published by the office of the Council of Ministers. In addition the press office at the Council of Ministers, which issued government-official announcing and for the accreditation of the foreign journalists in the GDR was responsible, existed. Its leader of many years was Kurt Blecha. The Ministries had own buildings in Berlin. In „the house of the Ministries “into the Leipziger road the close citizen of Berlin wall the competent ministries of the industries were summarized.

[edit] Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister)

Otto Grotewohl (1950-1964), SED
Willi Stoph (1964-1973), SED
Horst Sindermann (1973-1976), SED
Willi Stoph (1976-1989), SED
Hans Modrow (13 November 1989 - 11 April 1990), SED

Lothar de Maizière (12 April 1990 - 2 October 1990), CDU

[edit] Ministries

The Ministries and Minister:

Aussenministerium: George Dertinger (1949-1953), Lothar Bolz (1953-1965), Otto Winzer (1965-1975), Oskar Fischer (1975-1990), Markus Meckel (1990), Lothar de Maizière, (1990)
Finances: Hans Loch, Willy Rumpf, Siegfried Böhm (1966-80), Werner Schmieder, Ernst Höfner (1981-90), Uta Nickel (1989/90), Walter Romberg, Werner Skowron (1990)
Ministry of Public Security (Stasi): Wilhelm Zaisser, Ernst Wollweber, Erich Mielke, Wolfgang Schwanitz (office for national security - AfNS since 1989/90)
Ministry of National Defense: Willi Stoph, Heinz Hoffmann, Heinz Kessler, Theodor Hoffmann;
Ministry of Transport: Hans Reingruber, Erwin Kramer, Otto Arndt, Heinrich Scholz, Herbert Keddi, Horst Gibtner (1990)
Ministry for Post and Telecommunication Systems: Friedrich Burmeister, Rudolph Schulze (CDU), Klaus Wolf (CDU), Emil Schnell (1990)
Ministry of Culture: Johannes R. Becher, Alexander Abusch, Hans Bentzien, Klaus Gysi, Hans Joachim Hoffmann, Dietmar Keller, Herbert Schirmer (1990)
Ministry of National Education (since 1989: Education and youth): Elizabeth Zaisser, Fritz Lange, Alfred Lemmnitz, Margot Honecker, Helga Labs, Hans Heinz Emons
Ministry of High and specialized public education: Ernst Joachim Gießmann, Hans Joachim Böhme
Ministry of Science and technology: Herbert Weiz (1974-89), at the same time 1967-89 one of the Deputy Chairmen of the MR; Peter Klaus Budig (LDPD)
Ministry of Health service: Luitpold Steidle (1949-58), Max Sefrin (1958-71), Ludwig Mecklinger, Klaus Thielmann, Jürgen Kleditzsch (1990)
Ministry of Environmental protection and water management: Werner Titel (1971), Hans Reichelt (DBD), Karl H. Steinberg (1990)
Ministry of Justice: Max Fechner, Hilde Benjamin, Kurt Wünsche (also 1990), Hans Joachim Heusinger (of both latter members of the LDPD)
Minister and chairman of the committee worker and farmer inspection: Heinz Matthes
national plan commission: Heinrich Rau, Karl Mewis, Bruno Leuschner, Erich Apel, Gerhard Schürer
Director/conductor of the press office: Kurt Blecha, Wolfgang Meyer

Ministries of the industries (1961-1965 in the course New Economic System were summarized the Ministries in national economy advice under his chairman Alfred Neumann):

Ministry of Ore mining industry, metallurgy and potash: Kurt Fichtner, Kurt Singhuber (1967-89)
Ministry of Electro-technology and electronics: Otfried Steger, Felix Meier
Ministry of Coal and energy: Wolfgang Mitzinger
Ministry of Chemical industry: Siegbert Löschau, Günther Wyschofsky * Structure building industry: Lothar Bolz (1949-53), Heinz Winkler (1953-58), Ernst Scholz, Wolfgang Junker (1963-89); Gerhard Baumgärtel, Axel Viehweger (1990)
Ministry of Basic industry
Ministry of Glass and ceramic(s) industry: Werner Greiner Petter, Karl Grünheid (1983-89)
Ministry of Stock management: Alfred Neumann (1965-68), Manfred Flegel, Wolfgang smoke foot
Ministry of Tool and building of processing machines: Rudi Georgi (1973-89)
Ministry of General construction of vehicles, machine and agricultural machinery (since 1990: Mechanical engineering): Günther nuthatch, Gerhard thawing cock, Karl Grünheid
Ministry of Heavy machine and equipment construction (since 1990: Heavy industry): Fritz same man, Rolf Kersten, Hans Joachim Lauck, Kurt Singhuber
Ministry of Land, forest and food processing industry: Ernst Goldenbaum, Paul Scholz, George Ewald, Heinz Kuhrig, Bruno Lietz; Hans Watzek, Peter Pollack (1990)
Ministry of Light industry: Karl Bettin, Werner shrub man, Gunter stem (NDPD)
Ministry of District-led and foodstuffs industry: Erhard crack, Udo Dieter cheek
Ministry of Trade and supply: Curt Heinz Merkel, Karl Hamann, Gerhard Lucht, Günter Sieber (1965-72), Manfred Flegel * Foreign trade: George Ulrich Handke, Heinrich Rau (1955-61), Julius Balkow, refuge Sölle, Gerhard hatchet 1989 and/or 1990 again imported:
Ministry of Economics (new since 1989): Christa air (1989/90), Gerhard Pohl (1990)
Ministry of Tourism (new since 1989): Bruno Benthien (LDPD)
Ministry of Work and wages (new since 1989)/work and social (since 1990): Hannelore humans, Jürgen Kleditzsch * Family and women (new 1990): Christa Schmidt (CDU) The Ministries armed organs :
Inneres (see people police, combat teams): Karl stone-hope, Karl Maron, Friedrich Dickel; Lothar Ahrendt, Peter Michael Diestel (1990)
Minister for disarmament and defense Rainer Eppelmann (1990)

In addition there were various offices, which were subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers, as for example the office for prices under undersecretary of state in Minister rank walter half knight or office for Industrielle styling. Depending upon meaning of the office the respective office leader was undersecretary of state, one of the numerous deputies of the respective Minister or in the exceptional case even in Minister rank.