German military officer, Armeegeneral in the former National People's Army of East Germany (1920-2017) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heinz Kessler or Heinz Kebler (26 January 1920 – 2 May 2017) was a former East German communist politician, military officer and a convicted felon. He is known for his role in political repression in East Germany prior to the communist regime's downfall in 1989.
Armeegeneral Heinz Kessler | |
|---|---|
 Heinz Kessler in 1988 | |
| Minister of Defence of German Democratic Republic | |
| In office 3 December 1985 – 18 November 1989 | |
| President | Erich Honecker |
| Prime Minister | Willi Stoph Hans Modrow |
| Preceded by | Heinz Hoffmann |
| Succeeded by | Theodor Hoffman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 January 1920 Lauban, Province of Lower Silesia, Weimar Germany |
| Died | 2 May 2017 (aged 97) Berlin, Germany |
| Political party | German Communist Party (since 2009) |
| Other political affiliations | Communist Party of Germany (1945-1946) Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1946-1989) Party of Democratic Socialism (1989-1990)German Communist Party (1990–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Kessler (died 2013) |
| Awards | 
 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | .svg){kind=small} Nazi Germany (1940-1941) Soviet Union (1941-1945) East Germany (1950-1989) |
| Years of service |  Wehrmacht (1940-1941) Soviet Army (1941-1945).svg){kind=small} National People's Army (1950-1989) |
| Rank | Armeegeneral |
| Commands | Commander-in-chief of the Kommando LSK/LV Ministry of National Defence |
| Battles/wars | World War II Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia Angolan Civil War |
In East Germany, he held the rank of Armeegeneral in the National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee) and was Minister of Defense of the GDR, a member of the Politbüro of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), and a deputy of the GDR's Volkskammer (parliament).
Convicted for his role in the crimes of the communist regime, he was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison after German reunification, and served his sentence in a Prison. He was removed from prison in 1998 after serving only five years.
Kessler was expelled from the Party of Democratic Socialism in 1990. In 2009, he joined the German Communist Party (DKP). He was a DKP candidate in the Berlin state election, 2011. Kessler died 2 May 2017 at the age of 97.[1][2]
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