# Erich Honecker

_Former leader of East Germany, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party (1976-1989)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/erich-honecker
Last updated: 2026-11-08

> Erich Ernst Paul Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic from 1971 until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. He held the posts of General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and Chairman of the National Defence Council; in 1976, he replaced Willi Stoph as Chairman of the State Council, the official head of state. As the leader of East Germany, Honecker was viewed as a dictator. During his leadership, the country had close ties to the Soviet Union, which maintained a large army in the country.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 25 August 1912 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Neunkirchen ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P19))
- **Died:** 29 May 1994 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P570))
- **Place of death:** La Reina ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Territory of the Saar Basin; East Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; autobiographer; resistance fighter; head of state ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P106))
- **Political party:** Communist Party of Germany (since 1930); Socialist Unity Party of Germany (until 1989) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P102))
- **Education:** International Lenin School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P69))
- **Spouse:** Edith Baumann; Margot Honecker; Charlotte Schanuel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P26))
- **Positions held:** Chairman of the State Council (29 October 1976 – 24 October 1989); Chairman of the National Defence Council of the GDR (24 June 1971 – 18 October 1989); member of the Volkskammer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of José Martí; Hero of the Soviet Union; Order of the October Revolution; Order of Augusto César Sandino; Gold Olympic Order; Banner of Labor; Order of Klement Gottwald; Hero of Labour; Patriotic Order of Merit (honor clasp); Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"; Order of Hồ Chí Minh; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Order of Playa Girón; Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria; Order of the Victory of Socialism ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607#P166))

## Questions

**When was Erich Honecker born?**  
Erich Honecker was born on 25 August 1912 in Neunkirchen.

**What positions has Erich Honecker held?**  
Positions held by Erich Honecker include: Chairman of the State Council (1976–1989); Chairman of the National Defence Council of the GDR (1971–1989); member of the Volkskammer.

**Where did Erich Honecker study?**  
Erich Honecker was educated at International Lenin School.

## Related

- [Manfred Gerlach](https://diginpl.com/people/manfred-gerlach)
- [Friedrich Ebert Jr.](https://diginpl.com/people/friedrich-ebert-jr)
- [Willi Stoph](https://diginpl.com/people/willi-stoph)
- [Egon Krenz](https://diginpl.com/people/egon-krenz)
- [Walter Ulbricht](https://diginpl.com/people/walter-ulbricht)
- [Gregor Gysi](https://diginpl.com/people/gregor-gysi)
- [Robert Neddermeyer](https://diginpl.com/people/robert-neddermeyer)
- [Hans Modrow](https://diginpl.com/people/hans-modrow)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Erich Honecker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Honecker) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q2607](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2607) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R1220-401, Erich Honecker.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (CC BY-SA 3.0 de)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R1220-401,_Erich_Honecker.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Erich Honecker, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R1220-401, Erich Honecker.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 de.

## Cite this page

"Erich Honecker". DigiNepal. Last updated 8 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/erich-honecker. Retrieved 8 November 2026.