Leaders of East Germany

President of the GDR (Präsident der DDR) (1949-1960)
Wilhelm Pieck (SED) 11 October 1949 to 7 September 1960 (death)

Chairman of the Council of State of the GDR (Vorsitzender des Staatsrats der DDR) (1960-1990)
No. Name Took office Left office Party
1. Walter Ulbricht 12 September 1960 1 August 1973 (death) SED
Friedrich Ebert
Deputy Chairman of the Council of State acting as head of state. 1 August 1973 3 October 1973 SED
2. Willi Stoph 3 October 1973 29 October 1976 (replaced) SED
3. Erich Honecker 29 October 1976 18 October 1989 (resigned) SED
4. Egon Krenz 24 October 1989 6 December 1989 (resigned) SED
5. Manfred Gerlach 6 December 1989 March 1990 (office abolished) LDPD


President of the People's Chamber of the GDR (Präsident der Volkskammer der DDR) (1990)
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) 5 April 1990 to 2 October 1990 (office abolished)
NOTE: The office of Präsident der Volkskammer der DDR was created by the GDR constitution in October 1949 and remained throughout the existence of the GDR.


Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

Chairman
Wilhelm Pieck (formerly KPD) and Otto Grotewohl (formerly SPD) (Co-chairmen)(1946–1954)

First Secretary / General Secretary of the Central Committee
German: Erster Sekretär des Zentralkomitees (ZK) der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED), Generalsekretär des ZK der SED.

Walter Ulbricht (1950–1971)
Erich Honecker (1971–1989)
Egon Krenz (1989)

Heads of Government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR
German: Vorsitzender des Ministerrats der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Also known as Prime Minister / Premier / Minister President (Ministerpräsident)

Otto Grotewohl (SED) (1949–1964)
Willi Stoph (SED) (1964–1973)
Horst Sindermann (SED) (1973–1976)
Willi Stoph (SED) (1976–1989)
Hans Modrow (SED) (1989–1990)
Lothar de Maizière (CDU) (1990)

Heads of Parliament
President of the People's Chamber of the GDR
German: Präsident(in) der Volkskammer der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik.

Johannes Dieckmann (LDPD) (1949–1969)
Gerald Götting (CDU) (1969–1976)
Horst Sindermann (SED) (1976–1989)
Günther Maleuda (Farmers' Party) (1989–1990)
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) (1990)


President of the People's Chamber of the GDR (Präsident der Volkskammer der DDR) (1990)
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) 5 April 1990 to 2 October 1990 (office abolished)
NOTE: The office of Präsident der Volkskammer der DDR was created by the GDR constitution in October 1949 and remained throughout the existence of the GDR.


Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

Chairman
Wilhelm Pieck (formerly KPD) and Otto Grotewohl (formerly SPD) (Co-chairmen)(1946–1954)

First Secretary / General Secretary of the Central Committee
German: Erster Sekretär des Zentralkomitees (ZK) der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED), Generalsekretär des ZK der SED.

Walter Ulbricht (1950–1971)
Erich Honecker (1971–1989)
Egon Krenz (1989)

Heads of Government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR
German: Vorsitzender des Ministerrats der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Also known as Prime Minister / Premier / Minister President (Ministerpräsident)

Otto Grotewohl (SED) (1949–1964)
Willi Stoph (SED) (1964–1973)
Horst Sindermann (SED) (1973–1976)
Willi Stoph (SED) (1976–1989)
Hans Modrow (SED) (1989–1990)
Lothar de Maizière (CDU) (1990)

Heads of Parliament

President of the People's Chamber of the GDR
German: Präsident(in) der Volkskammer der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik.

Johannes Dieckmann (LDPD) (1949–1969)
Gerald Götting (CDU) (1969–1976)
Horst Sindermann (SED) (1976–1989)
Günther Maleuda (Farmers' Party) (1989–1990)
Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) (1990)