Margot Honecker

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Margot Honecker

Role / Field:

East German politician, Minister of National Education (1963–1989), known for hardline views.

Born:

1927-04-17

Died:

2016-05-06

Century / Era:

1927s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Margot Honecker (née Feist; 17 April 1927 – 6 May 2016) was an East German politician and influential member of the country's Communist government until 1989. From 1963 until 1989, she was Minister of National Education (Ministerin für Volksbildung) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). She was married to Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany's ruling Socialist Unity Party from 1971 to 1989 and concurrently from 1976 to 1989 the country's head of state. Margot Honecker was widely referred to as the "Purple Witch" ("Lila Hexe" in German) for her tinted hair and hardline Stalinist views. She was responsible for the enactment of the "Uniform Socialist Education System" in 1965 and mandatory military training in schools to prepare pupils for a future war with the west.

Career & Major Achievements

She was alleged to have been responsible for the regime's forced adoption of children of jailed dissidents or people who attempted to flee the GDR, and is considered to have "left a cruel legacy of separated families." Honecker also established highly controversial youth disciplinary institutions which housed several thousand juvenile offenders between 1964 and 1989, the most notorious of which was located at Torgau. She was one of the few spouses of a ruling Communist Party leader who held significant power in her own right, as her prominence in the regime predated her husband's ascension to the leadership of the SED. Following the downfall of the communist regime in 1990, Honecker fled to the Soviet Union with her husband to avoid criminal charges from the government of reunified Germany. Their asylum pleas were never acted upon in light of similar problems befalling the Soviet government. Fearing extradition to Germany, they took refuge in the Chilean embassy in Moscow in 1991, but the following year her husband was extradited to Germany by Yeltsin's Russian government to face criminal trial, and detained in the Moabit prison.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Margot Honecker then fled from Moscow to Chile to avoid a similar fate. At the time of her death, she lived in Chile with her daughter Sonja. Honecker was born Margot Feist in Halle on 17 April 1927, the daughter of a shoemaker, Gotthard Feist (1906–1993), and a factory worker, Helene Feist (c. 1906–1940). Her parents were members of Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Her father was imprisoned in Lichtenburg concentration camp in the 1930s and from 1937 until 1939 in Buchenwald concentration camp.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1927 (1927-04-17): Birth of Margot Honecker — East German politician, Minister of National Education (1963–1989), known for hardline views.
2. 1937: 1937 Milestone — Her father was imprisoned in Lichtenburg concentration camp in the 1930s and from 1937 until 1939 in Buchenwald concentration camp.
3. 1963: 1963 Milestone — From 1963 until 1989, she was Minister of National Education (Ministerin für Volksbildung) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
4. 1964: 1964 Milestone — " Honecker also established highly controversial youth disciplinary institutions which housed several thousand juvenile offenders between 1964 and 1989, the most notorious of which was located at Torgau.
5. 1965: 1965 Milestone — She was responsible for the enactment of the "Uniform Socialist Education System" in 1965 and mandatory military training in schools to prepare pupils for a future war with the west.
6. 1971: 1971 Milestone — She was married to Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany's ruling Socialist Unity Party from 1971 to 1989 and concurrently from 1976 to 1989 the country's head of state.
7. 1990: 1990 Milestone — Following the downfall of the communist regime in 1990, Honecker fled to the Soviet Union with her husband to avoid criminal charges from the government of reunified Germany.
8. 1991: 1991 Milestone — Fearing extradition to Germany, they took refuge in the Chilean embassy in Moscow in 1991, but the following year her husband was extradited to Germany by Yeltsin's Russian government to face criminal trial, and detained in the Moabit prison.
9. 2016 (2016-05-06): Passing & Historical Legacy — Margot Honecker passed away on 2016-05-06, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Notable Quotes by Margot Honecker

“It didn’t exist”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Margot Honecker

True or False: “Did Margot Honecker's tenure as Minister of National Education involve mandatory military training for high school students?”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Yes, in 1978, she introduced Wehrkunde (military lessons) for 9th and 10th grade students.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Margot Honecker