Leadership of East Germany

Logo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany

No.		Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
Joint Chairmen of the Socialist Unity Party Vorsitzende der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands
.		Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	22 April 1946	25 July 1950	4 years, 94 days	SED
.		Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl (1894–1964)	22 April 1946	25 July 1950	4 years, 94 days	SED
General Secretary of the Central Committee (First Secretary of the Central Committee 1953–1976) Generalsekretär/Erster Sekretär des Zentralkommitees
1		Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	25 July 1950	3 May 1971	20 years, 282 days	SED
2		Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	3 May 1971	18 October 1989	18 years, 168 days	SED
3		Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED
(Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee Vorsitzender des Zentralkommitees
1		Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	3 May 1971	1 August 1973 †	2 years, 90 days	SED

On 1 December 1989, the People's Chamber removed the section of the East German Constitution granting the SED a monopoly of power—thus ending Communist rule in East Germany. Before the month was out, the SED transformed from a Leninist cadre party into a democratic socialist party, renaming itself first to Socialist Unity Party — Party of Democratic Socialism and later in the same year, to Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). Hence, the party's subsequent leaders were no more leaders of East Germany than the leaders of other parties.

• World Statesmen – East Germany