Districts of the German Democratic Republic 

Party abbreviation: SED = Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (Socialist Unity Party 
of Germany, communist, authoritarian -state party 1949-89)

23 Jul 1952                District of Cottbus.
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Brandenburg
                             and parts of Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt.
 
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
 1 Aug 1952 - 1953         Franz Bruk                         (b. 1923)
1953 - 1969                Albert Stief                       (b. 1920)
1969 - Nov 1989            Werner Walde                       (b. 1926)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Wolfgang Thiel                     (b. 1948)

Chairman of the District Commission
 1 Aug 1952 - 11 Aug 1952  Werner Manneberg                   (b. 1923)            SED
Chairmen of the District Council
11 Aug 1952 - 1959         Werner Manneberg                   (s.a.)               SED
1959 - 1962                Heinz Krüger                       (b. 1919)            SED
1962                       Rudolf Müller (acting)             (b. 1911)            SED
1962 - 1971                Hans Schmidt                       (b. 1915)            SED
1971 - 1989                Irma Uschkamp (f)                  (b. 1929)            SED
1989 - 17 May 1990         Peter Siegesmund                   (b. 1940)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
17 May 1990 -  2 Oct 1990  Karl-Heinz Kretschmer              (b. 1948)

23 Jul 1952                District of Dresden
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Sachsen.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Aug 1952 - 1957            Hans Riesner                       (b. 1902 - d. 1976)
1957 - 1960                Fritz Reuter                       (b. 1911)
1960 - 1973                Werner Krolikowski                 (b. 1928)
1973 - Nov 1989            Hans Modrow                        (b. 1928)
Nov 1989 - Jan 1990        Hans-Joachim Hahn                  (b. 1934)

Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1958                Rudi Jahn                          (b. 1906 - d. 1990)  SED
1958 - 1961                Walter Weidauer                    (b. 1899 - d. 1986)  SED
1961 - 1963                Günter Witteck (1st time)          (b. 1928)            SED
1963 - 1982                Manfred Scheler                    (b. 1929)            SED
1982 - 1990                Günter Witteck (2nd time)          (s.a.)               SED
1990 - 1990                Michael Kunze                      (b. 1944)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1990 -  2 Oct 1990         Siegfried Ballschuh

23 Jul 1952                District of Erfurt
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Thüringen.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 - 1953         Erich Mückenberger                 (b. 1910 - d. 1998)
1953 - 1957                Hans Kiefert                       (b. 1905 - d. 1966)
1957 - 1958                Hermann Fischer                    (b. 1911 - d. 1967)
1958 - 1980                Alois Bräutigam                    (b. 1916)
1980 - 11 Nov 1989         Gerhard Müller                     (b. 1928)
11 Nov 1989 - 1990         Herbert Kroker                     (b. 1929)

Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 -  1 Aug 1952  Willy Gebhardt                     (b. 1901 - d. 1973)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
 1 Aug 1952 -  9 Oct 1962  Willy Gebhardt                     (s.a.)               SED
 9 Oct 1962 - 17 Jun 1985  Richard Gothe                      (b. 1928 - d. 1985)  SED
17 Jan 1985 -  5 Mar 1985  Horst Lang (1st time)(acting)      (b. 1938)            SED
 6 Mar 1985 -  4 Feb 1990  Arthur Swatek                      (b. 1932 - d. 1990)  SED
 5 Feb 1990 -  8 Jun 1990  Horst Lang (2nd time)(acting)      (s.a.)               SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
 8 Jun 1990 -  7 Nov 1990  Josef Duchac                       (b. 1938)

23 Jul 1952                District of Frankfurt.
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Brandenburg.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
 1 Aug 1952 - 1958         Gerhard Grüneberg                  (b. 1921 - d. 1981)
1958 - 1961                Eduard Goetzel                     (b. 1921 - d. 1986)
1961 - May 1971            Erich Mückenberger                 (b. 1910 - d. 1996)
May 1971 - 28 Aug 1988     Hans-Joachim Hertwig               (b. 1928 - d. 1988)
1988 - Nov 1989            Christa Zellmer (f)                (b. 1930)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Bernd Meier                        (b. 1944)

Chairman of the District Commission
 1 Aug 1952 -  8 Aug 1952  Franz Peplinski                    (b. 1910 - d. 1991)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
 8 Aug 1952 - 1956         Franz Peplinski                    (s.a.)               SED
1956 - 1960                Günter Springer                    (b. 1922)            SED
1960 - 1963                Hans Albrecht                      (b. 1919)            SED
1963 - 1969                Harry Mönch                        (b. 1925)            SED
1969 - 1989                Siegfried Sommer                   (b. 1925)            SED
20 Nov 1989 - 17 May 1990  Gundolf Baust                      (b. 1941? - d. 2004)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
17 May 1990 -  2 Oct 1990  Britta Schellin (f)

23 Jul 1952                District of Gera
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Thüringen.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 - 1955         Otto Funke                         (b. 1915 - d. 1999)
1955 - 1959                Heinz Glaser                       (b. 1920 - d. 1980)
1959 - 1963                Paul Roscher                       (b. 1913 - d. 1993)
1963 - Nov 1989            Herbert Ziegenhahn                 (b. 1921 - d. 1993)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Erich Postler                      (b. 1940)

Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 -  1 Aug 1952  Lydia Poser (f)                    (b. 1909 - d. 1984)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
 1 Aug 1952 - 14 Oct 1959  Lydia Poser (f)                    (s.a.)               SED
14 Oct 1959 - 19 May 1965  Albert Wettengel                                        SED 
20 May 1965 - 28 Mar 1973  Horst Wenzel                       (b. 1914 - d. 1974)  SED
                            (acting to 8 Nov 1965)
28 Mar 1973 - 19 Sep 1977  Rudolf Bahmann                     (b. 1928 - d. 1977)  SED
20 Sep 1977 -  8 Dec 1977  Joachim Mittasch (acting)                               SED
 9 Dec 1977 - 30 May 1983  Karl-Heinz Fleischer                                    SED
30 May 1983 -  9 Jan 1990  Werner Ullrich                     (b. 1928)            SED
10 Jan 1990 -  8 Jun 1990  Helmut Luck                        (b. 1930)
                            (acting from 1 Jun 1990)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
 8 Jun 1990 -  7 Nov  1990  Peter Lindlau

23 Jul 1952                District of Halle
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Sachsen-Anhalt.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1952 - 1953                Bernhard Koenen (1st time)         (b. 1889 - d. 1964)
1953 - 1954                Heinz Glaser                       (b. 1920 - d. 1980)
1954 - 1958                Franz Bruk                         (b. 1923)
1959 - 1963                Bernhard Koenen (2nd time)         (s.a.)
1963 - May 1971            Horst Sindermann                   (b. 1915 - d. 1990)
May 1971 - 1981            Werner Felfe                       (b. 1928 - d. 1988)
1981 - Nov 1989            Hans Joachim Böhme                 (b. 1929)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Roland Claus                       (b. 1954)

Chairman of the District Commission
1952                       Werner Bruschke                    (b. 1898 - d. 1995)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council 
1952 - 1955                Werner Bruschke                    (s.a.)               SED
1955 - 1958                Helmut Becker                      (b. 1928)            SED
1958 - 1966                Otto Leopold                       (b. 1901 - d. 1975)  SED
1966 - 1984                Helmut Klapproth                   (b. 1928)            SED
1984 - 1989                Alfred Kolodniak                   (b. 1931)            SED
1990                       Wolfgang Süss                      (b. 1934)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
May 1990 - 1990            Klaus Keitel                       (b. 1939)

23 Jul 1952                District of Chemnitz
10 May 1953                Renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt.
 1 Jun 1990                Name Chemnitz restored.
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Sachsen.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Jul 1952 - 1959            Walter Buchheim                    (b. 1904 - d. 1979)
1959 - 1963                Rolf Weihs                         (b. 1920)
1963 - 1976                Paul Roscher                       (b. 1913 - d. 1993)
1976 - Nov 1989            Siegfried Lorenz                   (b. 1930)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Norbert Kertscher                  (b. 1954)

Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1960                Max Müller                         (b. 1899 - d. 1977)  SED
1960 - 1963                Werner Felfe                       (b. 1928 - d. 1988)  SED
1963 - 1981                Heinz Arnold                       (b. 1920)            SED
1981 - 1990                Lothar Fichtner                    (b. 1934)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
11 Jun 1990 -  2 Oct 1990  Albrecht Buttolo                   (b. 1947)

23 Jul 1952                District of Leipzig
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Sachsen
                             and part of Thüringen.
 
First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
Jul 1952 - Dec 1952        Karl Schirdewan                    (b. 1907 - d. 1998)
Jan 1953 - 19 Sep 1970     Paul Fröhlich                      (b. 1913 - d. 1970)
Nov 1970 -  5 Nov 1989     Horst Schumann                     (b. 1924 - d. 1993)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Roland Wötzel                      (b. 1938)

Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1959                Karl Adolphs                       (b. 1904 - d. 1989)  SED
1959 - 1974                Erich Grützner                     (b. 1910)            SED
1974 - 1989                Rolf Opitz                         (b. 1929)            SED
1989 - 1990                Joachim Draber                     (b. 1940)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1990 -  2 Oct 1990         Rudolf Krause                      (b. 1939)

23 Jul 1952                District of Magdeburg
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Sachsen-Anhalt.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1952 - 1979                Alois Pisnik                       (b. 1911 - d. 2004)
1979 - 1983                Kurt Tiedke                        (b. 1924)
1983 - Nov 1989            Werner Eberlein                    (b. 1919 - d. 2002)
Nov 1989 - 1989            Wolfgang Pohl                      (b. 1940)
1989 - 1990                Manfred Dunkel

Chairman of the District Commission
1952                       Josef Hegen                        (b. 1907 - d. 1969)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1953                Josef Hegen                        (s.a.)               SED
1954 - 20 Nov 1959         Paul Hentschel                     (b. 1913 - d. 1959)  SED
1957 - 1958                Bruno Kiesler (acting)             (b. 1925)            SED
1960 - 1985                Kurt Ranke                         (b. 1920)            SED
1985 - 1990                Siegfried Grünwald                 (b. 1938)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1990                       Wolfgang Braun                     (b. 1939)

23 Jul 1952                District of Neubrandenburg
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
                             and part of Brandenburg.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1952 - 1953                Willi Wiebershausen                (b. 1917 - d. 1960)
1953 - 1960                Max Steffen                        (b. 1909 - d. 1988)
1960 - 1963                Georg Ewald                        (b. 1926 - d. 1973)
1963 - Nov 1989            Johannes Chemnitzer                (b. 1929)
Nov 1989 - 1989            Wolfgang Herrmann                  (b. 1939)
1989 - 1990                Jürgen Zelm                        (b. 1953)

Chairman of the District Commission
1952                       Wilhelm Staudte                                         SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1953                Wilhelm Staudte                                         SED
1953 - 1957                Hans Jendretzky                    (b. 1897 - d. 1992)  SED
1957 - 1959                Horst Brasch                       (b. 1922 - d. 1989)  SED 
1959 - 1962                Kurt Guter                         (b. 1921)            SED
1962 - 1967                Lothar Geissler                                         SED
1967 - 1972                Adolf Garling                      (b. 1925)            SED
1972 - 1977                Gottfried Sperling                 (b. 1921)            SED
1977 - 1990                Heinz Simkowski                    (b. 1931)            SED
1990                       Wolfgang Otto                      (b. 1947)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1990                       Martin Brick                       (b. 1939)

23 Jul 1952                District of Potsdam.
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Brandenburg.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
 1 Aug 1952 - 1964         Kurt Seibt                         (b. 1908 - d. 2002)
1955 - 1957                Eduard Goetzel (acting)            (b. 1921 - d. 1986)
1964 -  8 Jan 1976         Werner Wittig                      (b. 1926 - d. 1976)
1976 - Nov 1989            Günter Jahn                        (b. 1930)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Heinz Vietze                       (b. 1947)

Chairman of the District Commission
 1 Aug 1952 -  8 Aug 1952  Curt Wach                          (b. 1906 - d. 1974)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
 8 Aug 1952 - 1953         Curt Wach                          (s.a.)               SED
1953 - 1957                Josef Stadler                      (b. 1906 - d. 1984)  SED
1957 - 1960                Herbert Rutschke                   (b. 1905 - d. 1978)  SED 
1960 - 1962                Franz Peplinski                    (b. 1910 - d. 1991)  SED
1962 - 1971                Herbert Puchert                    (b. 1914)            SED
1971 - 1974                Günter Pappenheim                  (b. 1925)            SED
1974 - 1977                Werner Eidner                      (b. 1923)            SED
1977 - 17 May 1990         Herbert Tzschoppe                  (b. 1927)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
17 May 1990 - 1990         Jochen Wolf                        (b. 1941)

23 Jul 1952                District of Rostock.
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1952 - 1961                Karl Mewis                         (b. 1907 - d. 1987)
1962 - 1975                Harry Tisch                        (b. 1927 - d. 1995)
1975 - Nov 1989            Ernst Timm                         (b. 1926)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Ulrich Peck                        (b. 1948)

Chairman of the District Commission
1952                       Erhard Hollweger                                        SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1952                Erhard Hollweger                                        SED
1952 - 1959                Hans Warnke                        (b. 1896 - d. 1984)  SED
1959 - 1961                Harry Tisch                        (s.a.)               SED
1961 - 1969                Karl Deuscher                      (b. 1917)            SED
1969 - 1986                Willy Marlow                       (b. 1928)            SED
1986 - 1989                Eberhard Kühl                      (b. 1930)            SED
1989 - 1990                Götz Kreuer                        (b. 1940)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1990                       Hans-Joachim Kalendrusch

23 Jul 1952                District of Schwerin
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
                             and part of Brandenburg.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
1952 - 1974                Bernhard Quandt                    (b. 1903 - d. 1999)
1974 - Nov 1989            Heinz Ziegner                      (b. 1928)
Nov 1989 - 1990            Hans Joachim Audehm                (b. 1940)

Chairman of the District Commission
1952                       Wilhelm Bick                       (b. 1903 - d. 1980)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
1952 - 1958                Wilhelm Bick                       (s.a.)               SED
1958 - 1960                Josef Stadler                      (b. 1906 - d. 1984)  SED
1960 - 1968                Michael Grieb                      (b. 1921)            SED
1968 - 1989                Rudi Fleck                         (b. 1930)            SED
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
1989 - 1990                Georg Diederich

23 Jul 1952                District of Suhl
 3 Oct 1990                District dissolved into reconstituted state of Thüringen.

First Secretaries of the Socialist Unity Party
26 Jul 1952 - 1954         Adolf Färber                       (b. 1912)
1954 - 1956                Kurt Schneidewind                  (b. 1912)
1956 - 1968                Otto Funke                         (b. 1915 - d. 1999)
1968 - 1989                Hans Albrecht                      (b. 1919)
1989 - 1990                Peter Pechauf

Chairman of the District Commission
26 Jul 1952 -  1 Aug 1952  Fritz Sattler                      (b. 1896 - d. 1964)  SED
Chairmen of the District Council
 1 Aug 1952 - 29 Nov 1958  Fritz Sattler                      (s.a.)               SED
29 Nov 1958 - 26 Jul 1967  Wilhelm Behnke                     (b. 1914 - d. 1975)  SED
26 Jul 1967 - 16 May 1990  Arnold Zimmermann                  (b. 1922)            SED
16 May 1990 -  8 Jun 1990  Helmuth Vierling (acting)          (b. 1945)
Government Authorized Person (Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
 8 Jun 1990 -  7 Nov 1990  Werner Ullrich                     (b. 1928)