Modrow government

{{short description|Final socialist government of the German Democratic Republic}}

{{Infobox government cabinet

| cabinet_name = Cabinet of Hans Modrow
Government of National Responsibility

| cabinet_number = 13th

| jurisdiction = East Germany

| flag = Flag of East Germany.svg

| flag_border = true

| flag_width =

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-1113-054, Hans Modrow.jpg

| caption = Modrow is interviewed in the Palace of the Republic, the seat of the East German government.

| date_formed = {{Start date|1989|11|13|df=y}}

| date_dissolved = {{End date|1990|04|12|df=y}}
({{Age in years, months and days|month1=11|day1=13|year1=1989|month2=04|day2=12|year2=1990}})

| government_head_title = Chairman of
the Council of Ministers

| government_head = Hans Modrow

| government_head_history =

| deputy_government_head_title = Deputy Chairman of
the Council of Ministers

| deputy_government_head = Christa Luft

| state_head_title = Chairman of the State Council

| state_head = Egon Krenz
Manfred Gerlach

| members_number =

| former_members_number =

| total_number =

| political_party =

| legislature_status = Government of national unity
{{Composition bar|hex={{party color|Socialist Unity Party of Germany}}|500|500|per=1}}

| opposition_party =

| opposition_leader =

| election =

| last_election =

| legislature_term = 9th Volkskammer

| predecessor = Sixth Stoph cabinet

| successor = de Maizière cabinet

}}

The Modrow government refers to the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) led by Socialist Unity Party (SED) official Hans Modrow from November 1989 until East Germany's first democratically elected government took power on 18 March 1990. Until February 1990, it was the last socialist government of the GDR. From February onward, it was a national unity government including members of the opposition, making it the first true coalition government of the GDR.

Background

Spurred on by the liberal policies of Glasnost and Perestroika in the Soviet Union, and Mikhail Gorbachev's apparent tolerance of liberal reforms in other countries in the Warsaw Pact, protests began to spread in the German Democratic Republic in 1989. This culminated in a large increase in citizens escaping from the country during the summer of 1989 after Hungary dismantled its portion of the Iron Curtain. At the same time opposition to the incumbent SED was growing – on 9 October 1989, for example, 70,000 people took part in a demonstration in Leipzig calling for free elections and other democratic rights which had been denied to East German citizens since the founding of the GDR. On 18 October 1989 Erich Honecker was ousted as leader by his Politburo as a result of his unwillingness to confront the societal problems which had led to the mass exodus and political protest.{{Cite book|title = The Rise and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1990|last = Dennis|first = Mike|publisher = Pearson Education|year = 2000|isbn = 0582245621|location = London|pages = 286–287}} The relatively youthful Egon Krenz who was chosen as successor proved to be ineffective, and on 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall was opened, becoming a symbol of the SED's complete loss of power. Within the first four days of the Wall's opening, 4.3 million people or 25% of the East German population had made the trip across the border to West Germany with many choosing to remain there to take advantage of the higher quality of life. Since 8 November a new Politburo had been in power when the previous one had unanimously resigned. Amongst the new members was former First Secretary of the SED in Dresden Hans Modrow. Despite the personnel change the new government was unable to bring stability to the situation, with increased absenteeism through emigration and citizens taking trips to West Germany placing higher pressure on the East German economy.{{Cite book|title = The Fall of the GDR – Germany's Road to Unity|last = Childs|first = David|publisher = Pearson Education|year = 2001|isbn = 0582315697|location = London|pages = 86–89}}

Formation

Round Table

As a result of the increasingly fragmented nature of the East German political landscape{{Cite journal|title = Party System Change in East Germany|last = Niedermayer|first = Oskar|date = December 1995|journal = German Politics|publisher = Frank Cass|volume = 4|issue = 3|page = 80| doi=10.1080/09644009508404414 }}

Composition

The Council of Ministers was composed as follows:{{Cite web|title = Neutrales Deutschland - Geschichtliches|url = https://www.neutrales-deutschland.de/56.html|website = www.neutrales-deutschland.de|access-date = 2015-05-26|first = Lothar|last = Sommer|language = de}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Chairman of the Council of Ministers

| minister1 = Hans Modrow

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Economic Affairs

| minister1 = Christa Luft

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Local Government Bodies

| minister1 = Peter Moreth

| minister1_party = Liberal Democratic Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Minister for Church Affairs

| minister1 = Lothar de Maizière

| minister1_party = Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Foreign Affairs

| minister1 = Oskar Fischer

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister of the Interior

| minister1 = Lothar Ahrendt

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister of Defence

| minister1 = Theodor Hoffmann

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Finance and Prices

| minister1 = Uta Nickel

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 24 January 1990

| minister2 = {{ill|Walter Siegert|de|Walter Siegert (Politiker)}}

| minister2_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister2_termstart = 29 January 1990

| minister2_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Education

| minister1 = {{ill|Hans-Heinz Emons|de}}

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Science and Technology

| minister1 = {{ill|Peter-Klaus Budig|de}}

| minister1_party = Liberal Democratic Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Trade and Supply

| minister1 = {{ill|Manfred Flegel|de}}

| minister1_party = National Democratic Party of Germany (East Germany)

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Construction and Housing

| minister1 = Gerhard Baumgärtel

| minister1_party = Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Mechanical Engineering

| minister1 = Karl Grünheid

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 11 January 1990

| minister2 = Hans-Joachim Lauck

| minister2_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister2_termstart = 11 January 1990

| minister2_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Foreign Trade

| minister1 = Gerhard Beil

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Culture

| minister1 = Dietmar Keller

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Tourism

| minister1 = {{ill|Bruno Benthien|de}}

| minister1_party = Liberal Democratic Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Health and Social Affairs

| minister1 = Klaus Thielmann

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister of Justice

| minister1 = Hans-Joachim Heusinger

| minister1_party = Liberal Democratic Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 11 January 1990

| minister2 = Kurt Wünsche

| minister2_party = Liberal Democratic Party of Germany

| minister2_termstart = 11 January 1990

| minister2_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Post and Telecommunications

| minister1 = {{ill|Klaus Wolf|de|Klaus Wolf (Politiker, 1938)}}

| minister1_party = Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Transportation

| minister1 = Heinrich Scholz

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 12 April 1990

| minister1_termend = February 1990

| minister2 = {{ill|Herbert Keddi|de}}

| minister2_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister2_termstart = February 1990

| minister2_termend = 2 October 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Environmental Protection and Water Management

| minister1 = Hans Reichelt

| minister1_party = Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 12 April 1990

| minister1_termend = 11 January 1990

| minister2 = {{ill|Peter Diederich|de}}

| minister2_party = Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany

| minister2_termstart = 11 January 1990

| minister2_termend = 2 October 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry

| minister1 = {{ill|Hans Watzek|de|Hans Watzek (Politiker)}}

| minister1_party = Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Minister for Labour and Wages

| minister1 = Hannelore Mensch

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Head of the Office for National Security

| minister1 = Wolfgang Schwanitz

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 13 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 11 January 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = State Secretary and Head of the Office for Youth and Sport

| minister1 = {{ill|Wilfried Poßner|de}}

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 30 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{Cabinet table minister

| title = Ministers without portfolio

| minister1 = Tatjana Böhm

| minister1_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister1_party = Independent Women's Association

| minister2 = Rainer Eppelmann

| minister2_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister2_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister2_party = Democratic Awakening

| minister3 = {{ill|Sebastian Pflugbeil|de}}

| minister3_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister3_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister3_party = New Forum

| minister4 = Gerd Poppe

| minister4_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister4_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister4_party = Initiative for Peace and Human Rights

| minister5 = Walter Romberg

| minister5_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister5_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister5_party = Social Democratic Party in the GDR

| minister6 = {{ill|Klaus Schlüter|de|Klaus Schlüter (Politiker)}}

| minister6_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister6_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister6_party = Green League

| minister7 = Wolfgang Ullmann

| minister7_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister7_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister7_party = Alliance 90

| minister8 = Matthias Platzeck

| minister8_termstart = 5 February 1990

| minister8_termend = 12 April 1990

| minister8_party = East German Green Party

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Government spokesperson and Head of the Press Office

| minister1 = Wolfgang Meyer

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = 30 November 1989

| minister1_termend = 12 April 1990

}}

{{cabinet table minister

| title = Representative of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers
for the Central Round Table and for the dissolution of the Office for National Security

| minister1 = Walter Halbritter

| minister1_party = Socialist Unity Party of Germany

| minister1_termstart = December 1989

| minister1_termend = February 1990

}}