Willi Stoph
From Free net encyclopedia
OrphanBot (Talk | contribs)
Removing image with no copyright information. Such images that are older than seven days may be deleted at any time.
Next diff →
Current revision
| Name of Office (1): | Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic |
| Term of Office: | 1964–1973 (1) |
| Predecessor: | Otto Grotewohl (1)
Horst Sindermann (2) |
| Successor: | Horst Sindermann (1)
Hans Modrow (2) |
| Name of Office (2): | Chairman of the Council of State of the German Democratic Republic |
| Term of Office: | 1973–1976 |
| Predecessor: | Friedrich Ebert |
| Successor: | Erich Honecker |
| Date of Birth: | July 9, 1914 |
| Place of Birth: | Germany |
| Date of Death: | April 13, 1999 |
| Place of Death: | Berlin, Germany |
| Profession: | Engineer, Politician |
| Political party: | Socialist Unity Party of Germany |
Willi Stoph (9 July 1914 – 13 April 1999) was an East German politician. He served as Prime Minister (Chairman of the Council of Ministers) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1989.
Biography
Stoph joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1931. Following the establishment of the GDR, he became a member of the central committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and member of the Volkskammer in 1950. He served as interior minister from 1952 to 1955, and defense minister from 1956 to 1960.
From 1964 to 1973, he was Chairman of the Council of Ministers. After the death of Walter Ulbricht in 1973, Stoph became Chairmen of the Council of State, and thus, head of state of the GDR. After Volkskammer elections in 1976, the state and party leadership structure was re-arranged, and Stoph once again became Chairmen of the Council of State.
As Prime Minister, Stoph began a series of negotiations with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt in 1970. It marked the first ever meeting between the leaders of East and West Germany.
Following the ouster of Erich Honecker in October 1989, Stoph and all 44 members of his cabinet resigned on November 7 in response to pressure from mass demonstrations against the East German government. On November 8, the Central Committee of the SED nominated Hans Modrow as Stoph's replacement. Stoph was subsequently arrested for corruption in December 1989. He was later spared detention due to health reasons. In 1994, a court in Berlin decided that he should not get back his seized savings of 200,000 DM.
Stoph died in Berlin on 13 April 1999.
Template:Start box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:End boxde:Willi Stoph es:Willi Stoph it:Willi Stoph nl:Willi Stoph pl:Willi Stoph