Willi Stoph

(b. Berlin, 9 July 1914; d. 13 April 1999) German; chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR 1964 – 73, 1976 – 89, head of state 1973 – 6 As chairman of the Council of Ministers (the government) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 to 1989, and head of state 1973 – 6, Stoph was prominent as the public face of the regime. Yet he was always overshadowed in real power by the general secretary of the ruling SED, first Ulbricht and then Honecker.

Born into a Berlin working-class family, after elementary school he completed an apprenticeship as a bricklayer. Although he had joined the Communist youth movement and the party (KPD), he served from 1935 to 1937 in the artillery of Hitler's new Wehrmacht rising to the rank of corporal. During the war he served again and took advantage of Soviet "re-education" camps to secure early repatriation.

In 1945 Stoph joined the re-established KPD and was soon given a number of leading positions in the building and basic industries. By 1950 he was a member of the Central Committee of the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED). Two years later he was appointed Minister of the Interior, where he remained until serving as first Minister of Defence, 1956 – 60. He was a member of the ruling Politburo from 1953 onwards. To have gone so far so fast Stoph must have enjoyed the confidence of the Soviets; he must also have been an Ulbricht supporter. It was Ulbricht who appointed him as chairman of the Council of Ministers in 1964.

Ulbricht reduced the power of the government in favour of the collective head of state, the Council of State, which he himself headed. The Council of Ministers was largely reduced to dealing with the economy. This helped to turn Stoph against Ulbricht. He threw in his lot with Honecker when the latter ousted Ulbricht in 1971. However, Honecker moved him to the chairmanship of the Council of State, with its powers trimmed, in 1973. Economic difficulties forced Honecker to reinstate Stoph at the Council of Ministers in 1976. The two remained rivals and Stoph was talked about as a possible successor. When Krenz succeeded Honecker in 1989 he kept Stoph on for a few weeks until all the old guard were forced to retire.

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Willi Stoph
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic
In office 1964 – 1973
Preceded by	Otto Grotewohl
Succeeded by	Horst Sindermann
In office 1976 – 1989
Preceded by	Horst Sindermann
Succeeded by	Hans Modrow
Chairman of the Council of State of the German Democratic Republic
In office 1973 – 1976
Preceded by	Walter Ulbricht
Succeeded by	Erich Honecker
Born	9 July 1914(1914-07-09) Berlin, German Empire
Died	13 April 1999 (aged 84) Berlin, Germany
Nationality	German
Political party	Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Profession	Engineer, Politician

New Year talk in 1974

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 (East Germany) from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1989.

Biography

Born in Berlin in 1914, Stoph's father died the following year in WWI. In 1928, the young Stoph joined the Communist Youth League of Germany (Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands; KJVD) and, in 1931, he joined the Communist Party of Germany. He also served in the Wehrmacht from 1935 to 1937, and again during WWII from 1940 to 1945. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and rose to the rank of Unteroffizier.

Following the establishment of the GDR, Stoph 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. As such, he was awarded the rank of an Armeegeneral.

From 1964 to 1973, he was Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Ministerrat). After the death of Walter Ulbricht in 1973, Stoph became Chairman 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 Ministers.

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 7 November in response to public pressure. On 8 November, 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.

Political offices
Preceded by Otto Grotewohl	Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic 1964–1973	Succeeded by Horst Sindermann
Preceded by Walter Ulbricht	Chairman of the Council of State of the German Democratic Republic 1973–1976	Succeeded by Erich Honecker
Preceded by Horst Sindermann	Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic 1976–1989	Succeeded by Hans Modrow

v • d • e Heads of State of the German Democratic Republic Wilhelm Pieck · Walter Ulbricht · Friedrich Ebert (acting) · Willi Stoph · Erich Honecker · Egon Krenz · Manfred Gerlach · Sabine Bergmann-Pohl

v • d • e Interior Ministers of Germany Imperial Interior Secretaries (1871–1918) Rudolf Delbrück · Karl Hofmann · Karl Heinrich von Bötticher · Count Arthur Adolf von Posadowsky-Wehner · Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg · Klemens Delbrück · Karl Helfferich · Max Wallraf · Karl Trimborn Weimar Republic (1918–1933) Friedrich Ebert · Hugo Preuß · Eduard David · Erich Koch-Weser · Georg Gradnauer · Adolf Köster · Rudolf Oeser · Wilhelm Sollmann · Karl Jarres · Martin Schiele · Otto Geßler · Wilhelm Külz · Walter von Keudell · Carl Severing  · Joseph Wirth · Wilhelm Groener · Wilhelm Freiherr von Gayl · Franz Bracht Nazi Germany (1933–1945) Wilhelm Frick · Heinrich Himmler · Wilhelm Stuckart German Democratic Republic (1949–1990) Karl Steinhoff · Karl Maron · Friedrich Dickel · Lothar Ahrendt · Peter Michael Diestel Federal Republic of Germany (1949–) Gustav Heinemann · Robert Lehr · Gerhard Schröder · Hermann Höcherl · Paul Lücke · Ernst Benda · Hans-Dietrich Genscher · Werner Maihofer · Gerhart Baum · Jürgen Schmude · Friedrich Zimmermann · Wolfgang Schäuble · Rudolf Seiters  · Manfred Kanther · Otto Schily · Wolfgang Schäuble · Thomas de Maizière

Persondata
NAME	Stoph, Willi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	East German politician
DATE OF BIRTH	July 9, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin, Germany
DATE OF DEATH	April 13, 1999
PLACE OF DEATH	Berlin, Germany

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