Rosel Walther (née Fischer; 12 January 1928 – 24 August 2006) was a German politician who was a member of the and the

State Council of East Germany The State Council of East Germany (German: ''Staatsrat der DDR'') was the collective head of state of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1960 to 1990. Origins When the German Democratic Republic was founded in October 1949, its ...

Life

Walther was born in

Landsberg an der Warthe Landsberg may refer to: * Landsberg (surname) * Margraviate of Landsberg, a march of the Holy Roman Empire * Palatinate-Landsberg, a state of the Holy Roman Empire Places * Landsberg (district), Bavaria, Germany * Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt, German ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

, in 1928. She was a teacher in her early life. She studied at the . In 1949 Walther joined 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 ...

(NDPD). She held leadership positions in the party; including as member of the executive board, director of the party academy, and vice chairperson of the NDPD parliamentary group. In 1964–1969 Walther was a leader of the

Democratic Women's League of Germany The Democratic Women's League of Germany (german: italic=no, Demokratischer Frauenbund Deutschlands, or ''DFD'') was the mass women's organisation in East Germany. It was established in March 1947 and had the following official aims: *Removal ...

. She was a member of the

World Peace Council The World Peace Council (WPC) is an international organization with the self-described goals of advocating for universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass ...

and the . Walther was a member of the in 1950–1958 and 1967–1990. In 1971 she also became a member of the State Council, the GDR's

collective head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

, until 1989. She retired after the Peaceful Revolution but remained 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 ...

, which merged with the Free Democratic Party. Walther received the in 1959, the

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 and silver, and the Banner of Labor.

References

1928 births 2006 deaths National Democratic Party of Germany (East Germany) politicians Democratic Women's League of Germany members Members of the Volkskammer Female members of the Volkskammer Members of the State Council of East Germany Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver Recipients of the Banner of Labor Recipients of the Medal of Merit of the GDR {{germany-politician-stub