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Hans ModrowFormer Prime Minister of the GDR
Date of Birth: 27.01.1928
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Hans Modrow
Hans Modrow was a German politician and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). He was the last communist head of government of the GDR. Modrow was born in Prussian Pomerania (now part of Poland) in a working-class family. After completing school, he underwent training as a machinist during World War II and worked as a repairman from 1942 to 1945. At the age of 17, he was sent to the front as a member of the Volkssturm. He was captured and remained in the Soviet Union until 1949. Upon his return from captivity, he worked as an engine driver and began his career as a party official.
Modrow became a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SEPG) in 1949. From 1949, he held various positions in the Free German Youth Union (FDJ) in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. From 1953 to 1961, he served as the 1st Secretary of the District Organization of the FDJ in Berlin. In 1957, he became a member of the People's Chamber of the GDR and remained a deputy until the end of the GDR in 1990. Modrow studied at the Central Komsomol School in Moscow from 1952 to 1953 and later attended the Higher Party School at the Central Committee of the SEPG (he obtained a diploma in sociology). He also graduated from the Higher Economic School in 1961, earning a degree in economics. In 1966, he received a doctorate in economics.
Party Career
Modrow became a candidate member of the Central Committee of the SEPG in 1958 and a full member in 1967. In September 1961, he was elected as the 1st Secretary of the District Committee of the SEPG in the Köpenick district of Berlin, and later became the Secretary of the Berlin City Committee of the SEPG for agitation and propaganda. From 1967 to 1989, he was a member of the Central Committee of the SEPG and worked as the head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda. From October 1973 to November 1989, he served as the 1st Secretary of the Dresden District Committee of the SEPG.
Final Period in the GDR
In early 1989, Modrow faced criticism from the leadership of the SEPG for "unsatisfactory mass and political work, economic failures, and self-will towards the Center." During the peaceful revolution, he initially ordered the security forces to arrest demonstrators, which resulted in the arrest of many individuals. At the same time, he held secret consultations with other party leaders, including Egon Krenz, Günter Schabowski, and Erich Mielke, about a change in the country's leadership. At the IX Plenum of the Central Committee of the SEPG on October 18, he actively spoke out against the head of the country and the party, Erich Honecker, and supported his resignation from all positions. At the X Plenum of the Central Committee in November 1989, Modrow was elected to the Politburo of the Central Committee, and on November 13, he was elected as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the GDR. He held this position until April 1990. His appointment was approved by the People's Chamber, with only one vote against by Margot Honecker, the wife of the former head of the GDR, Erich Honecker. At an extraordinary congress of the SEPG on December 9, Modrow was elected as a deputy chairman of the party. As the head of government, he oversaw the round table talks with the opposition, which led to the disbandment of the Stasi and the cessation of repression, and prepared for free general elections, which took place on March 18. Modrow advocated for a neutral German confederation and opposed a "quick" reunification.
Later Life
Modrow was a member of the Central Committee of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) from 1989 to 2007 and the Left Party from 2007 to 2023. He served as the Honorary Chairman of the PDS from February 1990 and the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Left Party from 2007. He was elected as a member of the Bundestag (1990-1994) and the European Parliament (1999-2004), where he worked in the Committee on Development Cooperation and was responsible for the negotiations on the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU. In 1995, he was sentenced to nine months in prison (with conditional early release in the courtroom) by the district court of Dresden for "participation in the falsification of local elections in the GDR" in May 1989.
Modrow was under surveillance by the intelligence services of West Germany (FRG) and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1958 to 2013. Information from the surveillance revealed that starting in 1988, compromising materials were collected on Modrow at the behest of Erich Honecker and the head of the GDR's State Security, Erich Mielke, with the intention of discrediting him and bringing him to trial for treason.
Modrow was the author of numerous books and journal articles on various subjects. Unlike many party leaders, he was always accessible to citizens and was known for his honesty (earning him the nickname "ehrlicher Hans" or "honest Hans") and personal modesty (for example, while serving as the 1st Secretary of the Dresden District Committee, he lived with his family in a regular three-room apartment in the city). He was one of the reformers in the leadership of the GDR. There is evidence that in 1987, he was considered as one of the possible successors to the leader of the SEPG, Erich Honecker, as viewed by Moscow.
A few days before his death, Modrow suffered a stroke and was admitted to a hospital in Berlin. He passed away in Berlin on the night of February 10-11, 2023.
Personal Life
Modrow was married to Anne-Marie Straubing, who passed away in 2003. He had two daughters and lived with them in Berlin.
