First All-German CDU Party Conference (October 2, 1990) The organizations of the East-CDU joined the West German CDU at the CDU’s 38th Federal Party Conference in Hamburg (October 1-2, 1990). The meeting thus doubled as the 1st All-German CDU Party Conference. Chancellor Helmut Kohl (left) was elected party chairman, winning no less than 98.5 percent of the vote. Lothar de Maizière (right), the chairman of the East-CDU and the last prime minister of the GDR, was elected deputy chairman with 97.4 percent of the vote. Like many other members of the East German CDU, de Maizière wanted the policies of the all-German CDU to give greater consideration to social and Christian matters. In the end, however, he was unable to assert his programmatic position. The unification party conference did not address the role of the East-CDU as a block party under the SED-dictatorship. Photo: Christian Stutterheim.