Günter Hartmann (born March 18, 1930) is a German politician who was chairman of the

National Democratic Party of Germany The National Democratic Party of Germany (german: Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands or NPD) is a far-right Neo-Nazi and ultranationalist political party in Germany. The party was founded in 1964 as successor to the German Reich Part ...

, and a member of the

Volkskammer __NOTOC__ The Volkskammer (, ''People's Chamber'') was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic (colloquially known as East Germany). The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The upper house w ...

Life

Hartmann was born on March 18, 1930, in

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bomb ...

. Following the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, he became a member of the Free German Youth and the

Free German Trade Union Federation The Free German Trade Union Federation (german: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or ''FDGB'') was the sole national trade union centre of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organis ...

. From 1947 to 1948 Hartmann studied at the

Freiberg University of Mining and Technology The Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (abbreviation: TU Bergakademie Freiberg, TUBAF) is a public university of technology with currently 3655 students in the city of Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Its focus is on exploration, mining & ...

, graduating as a surveyor. In 1949, he joined the

(NDPD). Beginning in 1951, Hartmann worked varying positions as an NDPD party functionary. In 1973, Hartmann became a member of the

. He served on the Volkskammer's foreign affairs committee. Between 1972 and 1989, he was a member of the national council of the National Front. Between From May 1987 to November 1989, Hartmann served as deputy chairman of the

. He then assumed leadership of the party in December 1989, following the forced resignation of chairman Heinrich Homann. Hartmann held the position of chairman of the NDPD only briefly. He returned to the role of deputy chairman in January 1990, with Wolfgang Glaeser taking over as chairman. During this period, Hartmann was a proponent of a confederation between the East and West Germany, rather than a total reunification. In March 1990, he retired from his position as deputy chairman. Hartmann then became a member of the

Association of Free Democrats The Association of Free Democrats (german: Bund Freier Demokraten) was a liberal coalition, later party, formed in East Germany on 12 February 1990. It originally consisted of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party (GDR) and the ...

, and later the Free Democratic Party.

Awards

* Banner of Labor, 1st Class (1980) *

Patriotic Order of Merit The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

, in bronze (1964); in silver (1972 and 1977); in gold (1985)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartmann, Gunter Living people 1930 births People from Halberstadt Free Democratic Party (Germany) politicians Recipients of the Banner of Labor Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold Members of the Volkskammer