German Democratic Republic Districts (1952
- 1990)
Note: The districts (with Berlin a special
district) were established on 23 Jul 1952 and ceased to
exist with the re-unification of Germany on 3
Oct 1990, when the former states (lander) were
restored (see German
states after 1918).
Party abbreviations: CDU = Christlich
Demokratische Union Deutschlands (Christian Democratic
Union of Germany, christian-democratic,
liberal conservative, center-right, est.26 Jun
1945); SED = Sozialistische
Einheitspartei Deutschlands (Socialist Unity Party of
Germany, Marxist-Leninist communist, 1949-89 government
party, 21 Apr 1946-4 Feb 1990, named SED-PDS
Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands-Partei des
Demokratischen Sozialismus [Socialist Unity Party of
Germany-Party of Democratic Socialism] 16
Dec 1989-4 Feb 1990, renamed PDS); SPD
= Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
(Social Democratic Party of Germany, social-democratic,
Marxist to 1925, 27 May
1875-22 Jun 1933, re-est.Oct 1945)
Berlin: see under German
States
Chemnitz: see Karl-Marx-Stadt
Cottbus
23 Jul
1952
District
of Cottbus.
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Brandenburg,
and
parts of Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt states.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1 Aug 1952 - Aug 1953
Franz
Bruk
(b. 1923 - d. 1996)
Aug 1953 - May
1969 Albert
Stief
(b. 1920 - d. 1998)
Jun 1969 - Nov
1989 Werner
Walde
(b. 1926 - d. 2010)
Nov 1989 -
1990
Wolfgang
Thiel
(b. 1948)
Chairman of the District Commission
1 Aug 1952 - 11 Aug 1952 Werner
Manneberg
(b. 1923 - d. 2000) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
11 Aug 1952 - Jun 1959 Werner
Manneberg
(s.a.)
SED
Jul 1959 - Feb
1962 Heinz
Krüger
(b. 1919 - d. 2015) SED
1962
Rudolf Müller
(acting)
(b. 1911 - d.af.1985)SED
Jun 1962 - May
1971 Hans
Schmidt
(b. 1915 - d. 1995) SED
May 1971 - Apr
1989 Irma
Uschkamp
(f)
(b.
1929
- d. 2014) SED
Jun 1989 - Jun 1990 Peter
Siegesmund
(b.
1940)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Karl-Heinz
Kretschmer
(b. 1948) CDU
Dresden
23 Jul
1952
District
of Dresden
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Sachsen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 - Feb
1957 Hans
Riesner
(b. 1902 - d. 1976)
Feb 1957 - May
1960 Fritz
Reuter
(b. 1911 - d. 2000)
May 1960 - Oct
1973 Werner
Krolikowski
(b.
1928)
Oct 1973 - Nov
1989 Hans
Modrow
(b. 1928)
Nov 1989 - Jan
1990
Hans-Joachim
Hahn
(b.
1934)
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Nov
1958 Rudi
Jahn
(b. 1906 - d. 1990) SED
Dec 1958 - Jan
1961 Walter
Weidauer
(b. 1899 - d. 1986) SED
Feb 1961 - Mar
1963 Günter
Witteck (1st
time)
(b.
1928)
SED
Mar 1963 - Jul
1982 Manfred
Scheler
(b. 1929 - d. 2014) SED
Jul 1982 - Dec 1989
Günter Witteck (2nd
time)
(s.a.)
SED
Dec 1989 - Feb
1990 Wolfgang
Sieber
(b. 1934 - d. 2017) SED
Feb 1990 - Jun
1990 Michael
Kunze
(b.
1944)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990
Siegfried Ballschuh
CDU
East Berlin: see
Berlin under German States
since 1918
Erfurt
23 Jul
1952
District
of Erfurt
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Thüringen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 - Jul 1953 Erich
Mückenberger
(b.
1910 - d. 1998)
Aug 1953 - Feb
1957 Hans
Kiefert
(b. 1905 - d. 1966)
Feb 1957 - Jun
1958 Hermann
Fischer
(b. 1911 - d. 1967)
Jun 1958 - Apr
1980 Alois
Bräutigam
(b. 1916 - d. 2007)
Apr 1980 - 11 Nov 1989 Gerhard
Müller
(b. 1928)
11 Nov 1989 - Dec 1989 Herbert
Kroker
(b. 1929)
Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 - 1 Aug 1952 Willy
Gebhardt
(b. 1901 - d. 1973) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1 Aug 1952 - 9 Oct 1962 Willy
Gebhardt
(s.a.)
SED
9 Oct 1962 - 17 Jun 1985 Richard
Gothe
(b. 1928 - d. 1985) SED
17 Jan 1985 - 5 Mar 1985 Horst Lang (1st
time)(acting) (b.
1938)
SED
6 Mar 1985 - 4 Feb 1990 Arthur
Swatek
(b. 1932 - d. 1990) SED
5 Feb 1990 - 8 Jun 1990 Horst Lang
(2nd time)(acting)
(s.a.)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
8 Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Josef
Duchac
(b. 1938) CDU
Frankfurt
23 Jul
1952
District
of Frankfurt.
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Brandenburg.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1 Aug 1952 - Feb 1958
Gerhard
Grüneberg
(b.
1921 - d. 1981)
Apr 1958 - Aug
1961 Eduard
Goetzel
(b. 1921 - d. 1986)
Aug 1961 - May
1971 Erich
Mückenberger
(b.
1910 - d. 1996)
May 1971 - 28 Aug 1988
Hans-Joachim
Hertwig
(b.
1928 - d. 1988)
Nov 1988 - Nov
1989 Christa
Zellmer
(f)
(b.
1930 - d. 2002)
Nov 1989 - Feb
1990 Bernd
Meier
(b. 1944 - d. 2005)
Chairman of the District Commission
1 Aug 1952 - 8 Aug 1952 Franz
Peplinski
(b. 1910 - d. 1991) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
8 Aug 1952 - Sep 1956
Franz
Peplinski
(s.a.)
SED
Nov 1956 - Jun
1960 Günter
Springer
(b. 1922 - d. 2013) SED
Aug 1960 - Mar
1963 Hans
Albrecht
(b. 1919 - d. 2008) SED
Mar 1963 - May
1969 Harry
Mönch
(b.
1925)
SED
May 1969 - Nov
1989 Siegfried
Sommer
(b.
1925 - d. 2003) SED
20 Nov 1989 - Jun 1990 Gundolf
Baust
(b. 1941 - d. 2004)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Britta
Schellin (f)
(b. 1963)
SPD
Gera
23 Jul
1952
District
of Gera
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Thüringen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 -
1955
Otto
Funke
(b. 1915 - d. 1999)
1955 - Aug
1959
Heinz
Glaser
(b. 1920 - d. 1980)
Sep 1959 - Feb
1963 Paul
Roscher
(b. 1913 - d. 1993)
Feb 1963 - Nov
1989 Herbert
Ziegenhahn
(b.
1921 - d. 1993)
Nov 1989 - Dec 1989
Erich
Postler
(b. 1940)
Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 - 1 Aug 1952 Lydia Poser
(f)
(b. 1909 - d. 1984) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1 Aug 1952 - 14 Oct 1959 Lydia Poser
(f)
(s.a.)
SED
14 Oct 1959 - 19 May 1965 Albert
Wettengel
(b.
1921 - d. 2004) SED
20 May 1965 - 28 Mar 1973 Horst
Wenzel
(b. 1914 - d. 1974) SED
(acting to 8 Nov 1965)
28 Mar 1973 - 19 Sep 1977 Rudolf
Bahmann
(b. 1929 - d. 1977) SED
20 Sep 1977 - 8 Dec 1977 Joachim Mittasch
(acting)
SED
9 Dec 1977 - 30 May 1983 Karl-Heinz
Fleischer
(b.
1932 - d. 2008) SED
30 May 1983 - 9 Jan 1990 Werner
Ulbrich
(b. 1928 - d. 1999) SED
10 Jan 1990 - 8 Jun 1990 Helmut
Luck
(b. 1930)
(acting from 1 Jun 1990)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
8 Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Peter
Lindlau
CDU
Halle
23 Jul
1952
District
of Halle
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Sachsen-Anhalt.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 -
1953
Bernhard Koenen (1st
time)
(b. 1889 - d. 1964)
1953 - Sep
1954
Heinz
Glaser
(b. 1920 - d. 1980)
Sep 1954 - Apr
1958 Franz
Bruk
(b. 1923 - d. 1996)
Apr 1958 - Feb
1963 Bernhard
Koenen (2nd
time)
(s.a.)
Feb 1963 - May 1971
Horst
Sindermann
(b.
1915 - d. 1990)
May 1971 - May 1981
Werner
Felfe
(b. 1928 - d. 1988)
May 1981 - Nov
1989 Hans
Joachim
Böhme
(b.
1929 - d. 2012)
Nov 1989 -
1990
Roland
Claus
(b. 1954)
Chairman of the District Commission
1952
Werner
Bruschke
(b. 1898 - d. 1995) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Nov 1954
Werner
Bruschke
(s.a.)
SED
Dec 1954 - Jun
1958 Helmut
Becker
(b. 1917 - d. 1998) SED
Jul 1958 - Mar
1966 Otto
Leopold
(b. 1901 - d. 1975) SED
May 1966 - Feb
1984 Helmut
Klapproth
(b.
1928
- d. 2011) SED
Feb 1984 - Jan 1990
Alfred
Kolodniak
(b.
1931)
SED
Jan 1990 - Jun
1990 Wolfgang
Süss
(b. 1934)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990
Klaus
Keitel
(b. 1939) CDU
Karl-Marx-Stadt
23 Jul
1952
District
of Chemnitz
10 May
1953
Renamed
Karl-Marx-Stadt.
1 Jun
1990
Name
Chemnitz restored.
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Sachsen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Jul 1952 - Oct
1959 Walter
Buchheim
(b. 1904 - d. 1979)
Jan 1960 - Feb
1963 Rolf
Weihs
(b. 1920 - d. 2000)
Feb 1963 - Mar
1976 Paul
Roscher
(b. 1913 - d. 1993)
Mar 1976 - Nov
1989 Siegfried
Lorenz
(b.
1930)
Nov 1989 -
1990
Norbert
Kertscher
(b.
1954)
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Mar
1960 Max
Müller
(b. 1899 - d. 1977) SED
Mar 1960 - Sep
1963 Werner
Felfe
(b. 1928 - d. 1988) SED
1963 - Jan
1981
Heinz
Arnold
(b. 1920 - d. 2000) SED
Feb 1981 - Jun
1990 Lothar
Fichtner
(b.
1934)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
11 Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Albrecht
Buttolo
(b. 1947) CDU
Leipzig
23 Jul
1952
District
of Leipzig
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Sachsen
and part
of Thüringen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Jul 1952 - Dec
1952 Karl
Schirdewan
(b. 1907 - d. 1998)
Jan 1953 - 19 Sep 1970 Paul
Fröhlich
(b. 1913 - d. 1970)
Nov 1970 - 5 Nov 1989
Horst
Schumann
(b. 1924 - d. 1993)
Nov 1989 - Feb
1990 Roland
Wötzel
(b. 1938)
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Mar
1959 Karl
Adolphs
(b. 1904 - d. 1989) SED
Apr 1959 - Feb
1974 Erich
Grützner
(b. 1910 - d. 2001) SED
Feb 1974 - Dec
1989 Rolf
Opitz
(b. 1929 - d. 2006) SED
Dec 1989 - Jun
1990 Joachim
Draber
(b.
1939)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990
Rudolf
Krause
(b. 1939) CDU
Magdeburg
23 Jul
1952
District
of Magdeburg
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Sachsen-Anhalt.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 - Feb
1979 Alois
Pisnik
(b. 1911 - d. 2004)
Feb 1979 - Jun
1983 Kurt
Tiedke
(b. 1924 - d. 2015)
Jun 1983 - Nov 1989
Werner
Eberlein
(b. 1919 - d. 2002)
12 Nov 1989 - Dec 1989 Wolfgang
Pohl
(b. 1940)
Dec 1989 - Feb
1990 Manfred
Dunkel
Chairman of the District Commission
1952
Josef
Hegen
(b. 1907 - d. 1969) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Jun
1953 Josef
Hegen
(s.a.)
SED
Jun 1953 - 20 Nov 1959 Paul
Hentschel
(b. 1913 - d. 1959) SED
1957 -
1958
Bruno
Kiesler
(acting)
(b.
1925 - d. 2011) SED
Sep 1960 - Jun
1985 Kurt
Ranke
(b. 1920 - d. 1999) SED
Sep 1985 - Jun
1990 Siegfried
Grünwald
(b.
1938)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
11 Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Wolfgang
Braun
(b. 1939 - d. 2016) CDU
Neubrandenburg
23 Jul
1952
District
of Neubrandenburg (New Brandenburg).
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
and part
of Brandenburg.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Sep 1952 - Aug 1953
Willi
Wiebershausen
(b.
1917 - d. 1960)
Sep 1953 - Oct 1960
Max
Steffen
(b. 1909 - d. 1988)
Oct 1960 - Feb 1963 Georg
Ewald
(b. 1926 - d. 1973)
Feb 1963 - Nov 1989
Johannes
Chemnitzer
(b. 1929)
Nov 1989 - Dec 1989
Wolfgang
Herrmann
(b. 1939)
Dec 1989 -
1990
Jürgen
Zelm
(b. 1953)
Chairman of the District Commission
1952
Wilhelm
Steudte
(b.
1897 - d. 1973) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Dec 1953
Wilhelm
Staudte
(s.a.)
SED
Dec 1953 - Feb 1957
Hans
Jendretzky
(b. 1897 - d. 1992) SED
1957 - May
1959
Horst
Brasch
(b. 1922 - d. 1989) SED
May 1959 - Jul 1962 Kurt
Guter
(b. 1921 - d. 2001) SED
Jul 1962 - Feb
1967 Lothar
Geissler
(b.
1927)
SED
Feb 1967 - Mar 1972 Adolf
Garling
(b.
1925)
SED
Apr 1972 - Nov 1977
Gottfried
Sperling
(b.
1921 - d. 1991) SED
Nov 1977 - Jan 1990
Heinz
Simkowski
(b. 1931 - d. 2008) SED
Jan 1990 - Jun 1990
Wolfgang Otto (acting)
(b. 1947)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990
Martin
Brick
(b. 1939) CDU
Potsdam
23 Jul
1952
District
of Potsdam.
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Brandenburg.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1 Aug 1952 - Apr 1964
Kurt Seibt (1st time)
(b. 1908 - d. 2002)
Apr 1956 - Sep 1957 Eduard
Goetzel
(acting)
(b.
1921 - d. 1986)
Sep 1957 - Jun 1964 Kurt
Seibt (2nd
time)
(s.a.)
Jun 1964 - 8 Jan 1976 Werner
Wittig
(b. 1926 - d. 1976)
Jan 1976 - Nov 1989
Günter
Jahn
(b. 1930 - d. 2015)
Nov 1989 -
1990
Heinz
Vietze
(b. 1947)
Chairman of the District Commission
1 Aug 1952 - 8 Aug 1952 Curt
Wach
(b. 1906 - d. 1974) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
8 Aug 1952 - Jan 1953
Curt
Wach
(s.a.)
SED
Apr 1953 - Feb 1957
Josef
Stadler
(b. 1906 - d. 1984) SED
Feb 1957 - Jun 1960
Herbert
Rutschke
(b.
1905 - d. 1978) SED
Jun 1960 - Dec 1962
Franz
Peplinski
(b. 1910 - d. 1991) SED
Jan 1963 - May 1971
Herbert
Puchert
(b. 1914 - d. 1997) SED
May 1971 - Feb 1974
Günter
Pappenheim
(b.
1925)
SED
Feb 1974 - Jun 1977
Werner
Eidner
(b.
1923)
SED
Jun 1977 - Jun 1990
Herbert
Tzschoppe
(b.
1927)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Jochen
Wolf
(b. 1941) SPD
Rostock
23 Jul
1952
District
of Rostock.
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 - Jul 1961
Karl
Mewis
(b. 1907 - d. 1987)
Jul 1961 - Apr 1975
Harry
Tisch
(b. 1927 - d. 1995)
Apr 1975 - Nov 1989
Ernst
Timm
(b. 1926 - d. 2005)
Nov 1989 - Jan
1990 Ulrich
Peck
(b. 1948)
Chairman of the District Commission
1952
Erhard
Holweger
(b.
1911 - d. 1976) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - 6 Aug 1952 Erhard
Hollweger
(s.a.)
SED
Aug 1952 - May 1959
Hans
Warnke
(b. 1896 - d. 1984) SED
May 1959 - Jul 1961
Harry
Tisch
(s.a.)
SED
Jul 1961 - Jun 1969
Karl
Deuscher
(b. 1917 - d. 1993) SED
Jun 1969 - Feb 1986
Willy
Marlow
(b. 1928 - d. 2007) SED
Feb 1986 - Dec 1989
Eberhard
Kühl
(b.
1936)
SED
Dec 1989 -
1990
Götz
Kreuer
(b.
1940)
SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990
Hans-Joachim Kalendrusch
(b. 1939)
CDU
Schwerin
23 Jul
1952
District
of Schwerin
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
and part
of Brandenburg.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 - Feb 1974
Bernhard
Quandt
(b. 1903 - d. 1999)
Feb 1974 - Nov 1989
Heinz
Ziegner
(b. 1928 - d. 2015)
3 Nov 1989 - Dec 1989 Hans
Joachim
Audehm
(b.
1940)
Chairman of the District Commission
1952
Wilhelm
Bick
(b. 1903 - d. 1980) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
Aug 1952 - Jun 1958
Wilhelm
Bick
(s.a.)
SED
Jun 1958 - Jul 1960
Josef
Stadler
(b. 1906 - d. 1984) SED
Jul 1960 - Apr 1968
Michael
Grieb
(b. 1921 - d. 2003) SED
Apr 1968 - 8 Dec 1989
Rudi
Fleck
(b. 1930 - d. 2012) SED
Dec 1989 - Jun 1990
Siegfried Hempelt
(acting) (b.
1931)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Georg
Diederich
(b. 1949)
CDU
Suhl
23 Jul
1952
District
of Suhl
3 Oct
1990
Dissolved
into the reconstituted state of Thüringen.
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 - Aug 1954 Adolf
Färber
(b. 1912 - d. 1987)
Nov 1954 - Sep 1956
Kurt
Schneidewind
(b.
1912 - d. 1983)
1956 - Aug
1968
Otto
Funke
(b. 1915 - d. 1997)
Aug 1968 - Nov 1989
Hans
Albrecht
(b. 1919 - d. 2008)
Nov 1989 - Feb
1990 Peter
Pechauf
(b. 1941)
Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 - 1 Aug 1952 Fritz
Sattler
(b. 1896 - d. 1964) SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1 Aug 1952 - 29 Nov 1958 Fritz
Sattler
(s.a.)
SED
29 Nov 1958 - 26 Jul 1967 Wilhelm
Behnke
(b. 1914 - d. 1975) SED
26 Jul 1967 - 16 May 1990 Arnold
Zimmermann
(b. 1922 - d. 2015) SED
16 May 1990 - 8 Jun 1990 Helmuth Vierling
(acting)
(b.
1945)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
8 Jun 1990 - 2 Oct 1990 Werner
Ulbrich
(b. 1939) CDU
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