Honecker, Erich
Honecker, Erich (1912-1994); KPD/SED; became active in politics after an apprenticeship as a roofer; attended the Lenin School in Moscow; 1935, arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo; 1945, escaped and liberated, joined the "Ulbricht Group"; co-founded the Free German Youth (FDJ); 1946-55, FDJ chairman; 1955-56, attended the Party School of the CPSU in Moscow; 1958-89, member of the SED Politburo; 1971-89, First Secretary of the SED Central Committee; 1976-89, Chairman of the Council of State of the GDR; 1990, brief arrest, flight to Moscow, exile in Chile; along with Walter Ulbricht, the most important leader in GDR history; the GDR was internationally recognized during his term.