Günter Schabowski

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.

Günter Schabowski
Schabowski in 1982
Secretary for Information of the
Central Committee Secretariat of the Socialist Unity Party
In office
6 November 1989 – 3 December 1989
General Secretary
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Secretary for Agitation of the
Central Committee Secretariat of the Socialist Unity Party
In office
18 October 1989 – 3 December 1989
General Secretary
Preceded byJoachim Herrmann
Succeeded byPosition abolished
First Secretary of the
Socialist Unity Party in Berlin
In office
22 November 1985 – 10 November 1989
Second Secretary
  • Helmut Müller
Preceded byKonrad Naumann
Succeeded byHeinz Albrecht
Editor-in-chief of
Neues Deutschland
In office
15 March 1978 – 26 November 1985
Deputy
  • Hajo Herbell
  • Sander Drobela
  • Günter Kertzscher
  • Wemer Micke
  • Herbert Naumann
Preceded byJoachim Herrmann
Succeeded byHerbert Naumann
Parliamentary constituencies
Member of the Volkskammer
for Berlin-Marzahn, Berlin-Lichtenberg, Berlin-Hellersdorf
In office
14 June 1981 – 11 January 1990
Preceded bymulti-member district
Succeeded byGabriele Günzel
Personal details
Born(1929-01-04)4 January 1929
Anklam, Province of Pomerania, Free State of Prussia, Weimar Republic (now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany)
Died1 November 2015(2015-11-01) (aged 86)
Berlin, Germany
Political partySocialist Unity Party
(1952–1989)
SpouseIrina Schabowski
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Leipzig
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Journalist
Awards
  • Patriotic Order of Merit
  • Banner of Labor
  • Order of Friendship of Peoples
  • Order of Karl Marx
Signature
Central institution membership
  • 1984–1989: Full member,
    Politburo of the Central Committee
  • 1981–1984: Candidate member,
    Politburo of the Central Committee
  • 1981–1989: Full member,
    Central Committee
Other offices held
  • 1978–1985: Member,
    Commission for Agitation and Propaganda at the Politburo
  • 1974–1978: First Deputy Editor-in-chief,
    Neues Deutschland
  • 1968–1974: Deputy Editor-in-chief,
    Neues Deutschland
  • 1953–1967: Deputy Editor-in-chief,
    Tribüne
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