(b. Nordausen, 2 Mar. 1940) German; head of government of GDR Mar. — Oct. 1990 The son of a lawyer, de Maiziere studied music and, after successfully pursuing this career, he gave it up to become a lawyer. An active evangelical Christian, he specialized in defending dissidents including Christians and those refusing to do military service. He joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1957. The CDU was then a satellite of the SED. Once the party decided to break with the SED in November 1989 de Maiziere was elected its chairman. He was also elected deputy head of government in Modrow's interim administration leading to the March 1990 election.

De Maiziere headed the Alliance for Germany at the first free elections held in the GDR in March 1990, when the Alliance won 47.9 per cent of the vote. De Maiziere then led the coalition government which negotiated with West Germany and France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the USA, to restore Germany unity. Once unity was achieved on 3 October 1990, de Maiziere served as Minister for Special Assignments in the government of Helmut Kohl. Later he was forced to resign, because of accusations of having worked for Mielke's secret police, the Stasi. He denied the accusations but left political life to return to his law practice.

(lō'tär də mī'zyĕ'zəs) , 1940–, the first and last freely elected prime minister of the (East) German Democratic Republic. He joined the puppet Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1957 and the federal Synod of Protestant Churches, becoming its vice president in 1985. He was minister of religious affairs and deputy prime minister in Hans Modrow's Communist reform cabinet (Nov. 9, 1989). Withdrawing support from the embattled government, he resigned in Jan., 1990. Advocating rapid reunification with West Germany, he won the March elections with 45.6% of the vote. A reluctant public figure, as prime minister in a “Grand Coalition” he negotiated reunification and an end to his own position. He became minister without portfolio in Helmut Kohl's cabinet in reunified Germany (Oct., 1990). He resigned from his post, and as head of the CDU, in December when allegations surfaced that he had worked for the Stasi, the East German secret police.