German Democratic Republic Districts (1952 - 1990)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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