Günter Schabowski(1929-2015)
- Actor
Schabowski came from a working-class family. Schabowski joined the Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB) when he was just 17 years old. In 1947 he began working as an assistant for the trade union newspaper "Tribüne", where he joined the editorial team in 1952. After the founding of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Schabowski became a member of the Free German Youth (FDJ) in 1950 and a member of the SED in 1952. From 1953 to 1967 he served as deputy editor-in-chief of the "Tribüne". At the same time, Schabowski studied journalism via distance learning at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig. In 1962 Schabowski graduated with a diploma.
In 1967/68 he trained at the CPSU party college in Moscow. In 1968, Schabowski was appointed deputy editor-in-chief of the SED's central organ "Neues Deutschland". In 1974 he was promoted to first deputy editor-in-chief. From 1978 to 1985 he served as editor-in-chief. In this position, Schabowski was also a member of the central board of the GDR Journalists' Association and of the agitation committee at the SED Politburo. In 1981 he entered the People's Chamber, where he remained represented until the end of the GDR. In 1981, Schabowski became a member of the SED Central Committee and in 1984 a member of the Politburo. From 1986 he also served as secretary of the Central Committee. From 1985 to 1989 he was also first secretary of the SED district leadership in Berlin.
As a possible successor to Erich Honecker as party leader of the SED, the politician was able to point to several official honors such as the Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold (1977) and the Karl Marx Order (1989). In the wake of the autumn riots of 1989, which led to the dissolution of the GDR and German reunification, Schabowski played a key role in party officials. On November 4, 1989, he faced the masses at a protest rally on Berlin's Alexanderplatz. On the evening of November 9, 1989, at a press conference broadcast live on television, Schabowski announced that short-term visas would be issued for GDR citizens wishing to leave the country at all GDR border crossings. The announcement came prematurely and to the surprise of his Politburo colleagues.
It triggered a massive rush to the border crossings that night and the unexpected dismantling of the wall and border facilities within a few days and weeks. After Schabowski was appointed secretary of the Central Committee for Information and Media Policy in mid-November, he resigned from his political leadership positions with the Central Committee of the SED in December 1989. In January 1990, Schabowski was excluded from the newly formed SED/PDS. A year later he presented his experience report "The Crash". Schabowski turned back to journalism and worked for the "Heimatnachrichten" in Bebra from 1992 to 1999. In 1994 he published "Farewell to Utopia".
A case initiated against Schabowski in connection with the falsification of the GDR local elections was discontinued in 1997. In the same year, however, he was sentenced to three years in prison during a trial because of his shared responsibility for the victims of the Wall. After an unsuccessful appeal, Schabowski began his prison sentence in Berlin in December 1999, from which he was released early in October 2000. In his private life he was married to Irina and had two children.
Günter Schabowski died on November 1, 2015 in Berlin.
In 1967/68 he trained at the CPSU party college in Moscow. In 1968, Schabowski was appointed deputy editor-in-chief of the SED's central organ "Neues Deutschland". In 1974 he was promoted to first deputy editor-in-chief. From 1978 to 1985 he served as editor-in-chief. In this position, Schabowski was also a member of the central board of the GDR Journalists' Association and of the agitation committee at the SED Politburo. In 1981 he entered the People's Chamber, where he remained represented until the end of the GDR. In 1981, Schabowski became a member of the SED Central Committee and in 1984 a member of the Politburo. From 1986 he also served as secretary of the Central Committee. From 1985 to 1989 he was also first secretary of the SED district leadership in Berlin.
As a possible successor to Erich Honecker as party leader of the SED, the politician was able to point to several official honors such as the Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold (1977) and the Karl Marx Order (1989). In the wake of the autumn riots of 1989, which led to the dissolution of the GDR and German reunification, Schabowski played a key role in party officials. On November 4, 1989, he faced the masses at a protest rally on Berlin's Alexanderplatz. On the evening of November 9, 1989, at a press conference broadcast live on television, Schabowski announced that short-term visas would be issued for GDR citizens wishing to leave the country at all GDR border crossings. The announcement came prematurely and to the surprise of his Politburo colleagues.
It triggered a massive rush to the border crossings that night and the unexpected dismantling of the wall and border facilities within a few days and weeks. After Schabowski was appointed secretary of the Central Committee for Information and Media Policy in mid-November, he resigned from his political leadership positions with the Central Committee of the SED in December 1989. In January 1990, Schabowski was excluded from the newly formed SED/PDS. A year later he presented his experience report "The Crash". Schabowski turned back to journalism and worked for the "Heimatnachrichten" in Bebra from 1992 to 1999. In 1994 he published "Farewell to Utopia".
A case initiated against Schabowski in connection with the falsification of the GDR local elections was discontinued in 1997. In the same year, however, he was sentenced to three years in prison during a trial because of his shared responsibility for the victims of the Wall. After an unsuccessful appeal, Schabowski began his prison sentence in Berlin in December 1999, from which he was released early in October 2000. In his private life he was married to Irina and had two children.
Günter Schabowski died on November 1, 2015 in Berlin.
