Ministry for Foreign Affairs (East Germany)

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministerium für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten der DDR
Map

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the German Democratic Republic, 1972. The building was demolished in 1996, after German reunification.
Agency overview
Formed1949 (1949)
Dissolved1990 (1990)
JurisdictionGovernment of East Germany
HeadquartersEast Berlin
52°30′58″N 13°23′53″E / 52.51611°N 13.39806°E / 52.51611; 13.39806

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the German Democratic Republic (German: Ministerium für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, abbreviated MfAA) was a government body of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that existed from 1949 to 1990. It had its seat at Schinkelplatz in Berlin-Mitte. A new building was constructed in 1964–1967 and used by the foreign ministry, but demolished in 1996 after German reunification.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs was led by the Foreign Minister of the German Democratic Republic and a number of deputies. However, the Foreign Minister had less actual influence over the foreign policy than the central committee secretary for foreign policy in the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. As a de facto subordinate position, the Foreign Minister could be a member of some of the block parties in East Germany.

The West German counterpart to the Ministry was the Federal Foreign Office. The office still serves as the current German foreign ministry, considering itself to be the direct continuation of the Foreign Office of the North German Confederation, established in 1870.

Foreign Ministers of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1991

The foreign ministry of the German Democratic Republic was responsible for foreign relations, the conclusion of international treaties, and the management of the diplomatic service. It was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of ministers and state secretaries. However, the Foreign Minister was subordinate to the Secretary for Foreign Relations in the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, a role in which Hermann Axen served between 1966 and 1989.[1]

List of officeholders

Ministers of Foreign Affairs
# Name Lived Photo Entered office Left Office Party Days in office
1 Georg Dertinger (1902–1968)

12th October 1949 15th January 1953 CDU 1192
2 Anton Ackermann (1905–1973)

15th January 1953 1st October 1953 SED 260
3 Lothar Bolz (1903–1986)

1st October 1953 24th June 1965 NDPD 4285
4 Otto Winzer (1902–1975)

24th June 1965 20th January 1975 SED ≈ 3480
5 Oskar Fischer (1923–2020)

3rd March 1975 12th April 1990 SED 5520
6 Markus Meckel (* 1952)

12th April 1990 20th August 1990 SPD 131
7 Lothar de Maizière (* 1940) 20th August 1990 2nd October 1990 CDU 44

References

  1. ^ Leinauer, Irma (1996). Das Außenministerium der DDR (Foreign Ministry of the GDR). Technical University of Berlin. ISBN 978-3-7983-1715-4.

Literature

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_for_Foreign_Affairs_of_the_German_Democratic_Republic