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Günter Schabowski
German politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Günter Schabowski ([ˈɡʏntɐ ʃaˈbɔvski]; 4 January 1929 – 1 November 2015) was an East German politician who served as an official of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands abbreviated SED), the ruling party during most of the existence of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Schabowski gained worldwide fame in November 1989 when he improvised a slightly mistaken answer to a press conference question about the future of the Berlin Wall. That raised popular expectations much more rapidly than the government planned and so massive crowds gathered the same night at the Wall, which forced its opening after 28 years. Soon afterward, the entire inner German border was opened.
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Quick Facts Secretary for Information of the Central Committee Secretariat, General Secretary ...
Günter Schabowski | |||||||||||||
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![]() Schabowski in 1982 | |||||||||||||
Secretary for Information of the Central Committee Secretariat | |||||||||||||
In office 6 November 1989 – 3 December 1989 | |||||||||||||
General Secretary | |||||||||||||
Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Position abolished | ||||||||||||
Secretary for Agitation of the Central Committee Secretariat | |||||||||||||
In office 18 October 1989 – 3 December 1989 | |||||||||||||
General Secretary | |||||||||||||
Preceded by | Joachim Herrmann | ||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Position abolished | ||||||||||||
First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party in Berlin | |||||||||||||
In office 22 November 1985 – 10 November 1989 | |||||||||||||
Second Secretary |
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Preceded by | Konrad Naumann | ||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Heinz Albrecht | ||||||||||||
Editor-in-chief of Neues Deutschland | |||||||||||||
In office 15 March 1978 – 26 November 1985 | |||||||||||||
Deputy |
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Preceded by | Joachim Herrmann | ||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Herbert Naumann | ||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||
Born | (1929-01-04)4 January 1929 Anklam, Province of Pomerania, Free State of Prussia, Weimar Republic (now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) | ||||||||||||
Died | 1 November 2015(2015-11-01) (aged 86) Berlin, Germany | ||||||||||||
Political party | SED-PDS (1989–1990) | ||||||||||||
Other political affiliations | Socialist Unity Party (1952–1989) | ||||||||||||
Spouse | Irina Schabowski[2] | ||||||||||||
Children | 2[2] | ||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Leipzig | ||||||||||||
Occupation |
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Awards | |||||||||||||
Signature | ![]() | ||||||||||||
Central institution membership
Other offices held
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