Lothar Ahrendt | |
---|---|
Minister of the Interior of East Germany | |
In office 18 November 1989 – 12 April 1990 | |
Chairman of the Council of Ministers | Hans Modrow |
Preceded by | Friedrich Dickel |
Succeeded by | Peter-Michael Diestel |
Personal details | |
Born | Erfurt, Province of Saxony, Nazi Germany | 13 March 1936
Political party | Socialist Unity Party (1990–2001) |
Lothar Ahrendt (born 13 March 1936) is one of the former interior ministers of the German Democratic Republic.
Ahrendt was born on 13 March 1936 in Erfurt. [1] He was trained as a car mechanic. [1]
Ahrendt was a member of Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) which he joined in 1957. [1] He served as deputy interior minister until 18 November 1989, when he was appointed minister of interior, replacing Friedrich Dickel in the post. [2] Ahrendt was part of interim and "reform-minded" cabinet formed by Prime Minister Hans Modrow. [2] [3]
Unlike previous East German interior ministers, Ahrendt was not the chief of the German People's Police ( Deutsche Volkspolizei). [4] as for the first time since the DDR's establishment these two offices were divided. [2] However, in February 1990, he was appointed to the post as an acting chief. [5] In mid-January 1990, the Ministry of Interior declared that by 25 January all weapons from former secret police agents, including 124,000 pistols, 76,000 submachine guns, about 3,500 grenade-launchers and 342 anti-aircraft guns, would be retrieved. [6]
Ahrendt's term ended on 12 April 1990. [1] Peter-Michael Diestel succeeded him as interior minister. [7] Ahrendt was also dismissed from the post as the acting chief of the German People's Police in August 1990. [5]