biography
pronunciation:
[shtof]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1914–99)
|
| biography:
| German politcian, born in Berlin, Germany. A former bricklayer and building technician, he first joined the Kommunistiche Partei Deutschlands (KPD) in 1931 and then the Sozialistiche Einheitspartei (SED) (1946–89). He became a member of the Central Committee (1950), the Politbüro (1953), minister of the interior (1952–5), defence minister (1956–60), head of the Ministerrat (1964–73, 1976–89), and head of the Staatsrat of the German Democratic Republic (1973–6). In 1992 he was tried for the killing of a number of people trying to cross the inner-German border, but the proceedings were stayed for health reasons. |
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