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Egon Krenz

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Article Genealogy
Parent: German Democratic Republic Hop 4
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1. Extracted48
2. After dedup15 (None)
3. After NER8 (None)
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Egon Krenz
NameEgon Krenz
CaptionKrenz in 1989
OfficeGeneral Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party
Term start18 October 1989
Term end3 December 1989
PredecessorErich Honecker
SuccessorGregor Gysi (as PDS chairman)
Office1Chairman of the State Council
Term start124 October 1989
Term end16 December 1989
Predecessor1Erich Honecker
Successor1Manfred Gerlach
Office2Chairman of the National Defence Council
Term start218 October 1989
Term end26 December 1989
Predecessor2Erich Honecker
Successor2Position abolished
Birth date19 March 1937
Birth placeKolberg, Danzig (now Kołobrzeg, Poland)
PartySocialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) , Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS)
SpouseErika (née Hampel)

Egon Krenz was a German politician who served as the final communist leader of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) during the pivotal autumn of 1989. As the successor to the long-ruling Erich Honecker, his brief tenure was defined by the escalating Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall, events he could not control. His political career, which spanned decades within the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) hierarchy, culminated in his conviction for manslaughter related to the shoot-to-kill policy at the Inner German border.

Early life and career

Born in 1937 in Kolberg, then part of the Free City of Danzig, his family fled to the Soviet occupation zone after World War II. He joined the Free German Youth (FDJ) and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in his youth, quickly becoming a dedicated functionary. After attending the College of Education in Berlin-Köpenick, he rose through the ranks of the FDJ, eventually serving as its First Secretary from 1974 to 1983, a role that positioned him as a key figure in the party's youth indoctrination efforts and brought him into the inner circle of the Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

Rise in the SED

His loyalty and organizational skills led to his election as a full member of the Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in 1983, where he was considered a protégé of Erich Honecker. He held several critical portfolios, including security and youth policy, and was appointed Secretary for Security Questions in 1984. By the late 1980s, as the GDR faced mounting economic problems and the reformist policies of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, Krenz was viewed as the heir apparent, often representing the GDR at international events like the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

General Secretary of the SED

Following the forced resignation of Erich Honecker on 18 October 1989 amid massive public protests, he was elected General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. He promised a "Wende" (turnaround) and limited reforms, including easing travel restrictions and dismissing unpopular figures like Erich Mielke, head of the Ministry for State Security (Stasi). However, his government's chaotic attempt to enact new travel regulations on 9 November 1989 directly led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event that irrevocably shattered the authority of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

Role in the Peaceful Revolution and fall

His actions during the Peaceful Revolution were marked by indecision and a futile attempt to salvage party rule. Despite authorizing the violent suppression of a demonstration in Berlin on 7-8 October 1989, he later claimed to seek dialogue. The overwhelming public momentum, symbolized by the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig and the opening of the Berlin Wall, rendered his government powerless. Facing the collapse of state authority, he resigned from all posts—including Chairman of the State Council and the National Defence Council—in early December 1989.

After German reunification, he was investigated for his role in the GDR's border regime. In the Berlin Border Guard trials, he was jointly tried with other former leaders like Günter Schabowski. In 1997, the Landgericht Berlin convicted him of manslaughter for the deaths of people attempting to flee across the Inner German border, citing his membership in the National Defence Council. He served nearly four years of a six-and-a-half-year sentence in Berlin's Hakenfelde prison before his release in 2003, maintaining that he was being subjected to victor's justice.

Later life and legacy

Since his release, he has lived a relatively quiet life, occasionally giving interviews and publishing writings that defend the historical legacy of the German Democratic Republic. He remains a controversial figure, viewed by many as a symbol of the regime's final, failed attempt at self-preservation and by some former GDR citizens as a scapegoat. His brief leadership is historically significant as the epilogue to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany's four-decade rule, immediately preceding the process of German reunification under Helmut Kohl.

Category:1937 births Category:General Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany Category:Heads of state of East Germany Category:People convicted of murder by Germany Category:Living people