Honecker, Erich, << HOHN uhk uhr, AY rihk >> (1912-1994), was the leader of East Germany from 1971 until 1989. He came to power when he succeeded Walter Ulbricht as first secretary (later general secretary) of the ruling Communist Party.
In the 1980’s, large numbers of East Germans became increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of freedom under Honecker’s rule. In 1989, many of them fled to West Germany. In October 1989, Honecker was forced to resign as general secretary. In December, he was expelled from the Communist Party. He had become wealthy through his position as leader of East Germany. In 1990, East and West Germany were reunified into the single nation of Germany. Reunified Germany charged Honecker with manslaughter for ordering border guards to shoot East Germans trying to escape to West Germany during his leadership. His trial began in late 1992. But ill health soon prevented him from attending, and Germany suspended its charges in January 1993. Honecker was exiled to Chile, where he died on May 29, 1994.
Honecker was born on Aug. 25, 1912, in Neunkirchen, Germany. He joined the Communist Party in 1929. From 1935 to 1945, he was held in prison by the Nazis. From 1946 to 1955, Honecker served as chairman of an East German Communist youth group called Free German Youth. He was elected to the East German legislature in 1949. During the mid-1950’s, he studied Communist theory and practice in the Soviet Union. In 1958, he became a member of the Political Bureau, the governing body of the East German Communist Party. Honecker served as secretary for military and security affairs from 1958 to 1971. In this post, he was in charge of the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. In 1976, he was named to the government office of chairman of the council of state. He was forced to resign that post when he resigned as general secretary of the Communist Party.
