Hans Modrow
| Hans Modrow | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chairman of the Council of Minsters of the German Democratic Republic | |
| In office 13 November 1989 – 12 April 1990 |
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| President | Egon Krenz Manfred Gerlach Sabine Bergmann-Pohl |
| Preceded by | Willi Stoph |
| Succeeded by | Lothar de Maizière |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 27, 1928 Province of Pomerania, Weimar Republic (now Jasienica,Police, Poland) |
| Political party | Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1949-1989) Party of Democratic Socialism (1989-2007) Left Party (2007-present) |
| Profession | Politician |
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This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia. (January 2009) Click [show] on the right for instructions.
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Hans Modrow (German pronunciation: [ˈhans ˈmoːdʁo]; born 27 January 1928) is a German politician, best known as the last communist premier of East Germany. He currently is the honorary Chairman of the Left Party.[1]
Modrow was born in Jasenitz, Province of Pomerania, Germany, now Jasienica part of the town of Police, Poland. He briefly served in the Volkssturm towards the end of World War II and was subsequently held as a prisoner of war. Upon release in 1949, he joined the Socialist Unity Party (SED). Modrow had a long political career in East Germany, including periods as a member of the Volkskammer. From 1973 onward, he was the SED leader in Dresden, East Germany's third-largest city.
Modrow was widely reckoned as one of the few truly competent leaders in the East German hierarchy. He was prevented from rising any further than a local party boss, however, largely because he was one of the few SED leaders who dared to publicly criticise longtime SED chief Erich Honecker. Nonetheless, he developed some important contacts with the Soviet Union, including eventual Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. When Honecker was toppled in October 1989, Gorbachev hoped that Modrow would become the new leader of the SED. However, Egon Krenz was selected instead.[2]
He became premier following the resignation of Willi Stoph on 13 November 1989. After Krenz's resignation as leader of the SED on 3 December, Modrow became the de facto leader of East Germany, even though he did not become leader of the renamed Party of Democratic Socialism. Modrow remained premier until the elections on 18 March 1990.
After the German reunification, Modrow served as a member of the European Parliament (1999-2004)[3] and of the Bundestag.
In 1993 the German Federal Court found Modrow guilty of electoral fraud committed in the Dresden municipal elections in May 1989, but the judge declined to impose a prison sentence or a fine.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "West German Secret Service Opens GDR Files". Der Spiegel. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,655350,00.html. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ^ Sebetsyen, Victor (2009). Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. New York City: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0375425322.
- ^ "Hans MODROW". Your MEPs. European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=4301. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- ^ Kinzer, Stephen (1993-05-28). "Ex-East German Leader Convicted Of Vote Fraud but Not Punished". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/28/world/ex-east-german-leader-convicted-of-vote-fraud-but-not-punished.html?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Willi Stoph |
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic 1989–1990 |
Succeeded by Lothar de Maizière |
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This article about a German politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1928 births
- Living people
- People from Police, Poland
- People from the Province of Pomerania
- Socialist Unity Party of Germany politicians
- Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany) politicians
- The Left (Germany) politicians
- Prime Ministers of East Germany
- Members of the People's Chamber of the German Democratic Republic
- Members of the Bundestag
- German military personnel of World War II
- German prisoners of war
- The Left (Germany) MEPs
- MEPs for Germany 1999–2004
- Recipients of the Order of Karl Marx
- Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit
- German politician stubs
