Wolfgang Junker

Wolfgang Junker (23 February 1929 – 9 April 1990) was an East German construction manager, civil servant and politician of the Socialist Unity Party (SED).

Starting in 1963, Junker served as East Germany's Construction Minister for over two decades, overseeing the country's housing programme and the construction of the Palace of the Republic but also the deterioration of the historic inner cities in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a full member of the Central Committee of the SED. He was forced out of office during the Peaceful Revolution and committed suicide in April 1990 after being indicted on abuse of office charges.

Life and career Early career Wolfgang Junker was born in Quedlinburg (then part of the Prussian Province of Saxony) on 23 February 1929. He was a member of the Deutsches Jungvolk and later the Hitler Youth from 1939 to 1945. After attending elementary and middle school, he completed an apprenticeship as a bricklayer in 1945 and worked in that profession until 1949 in Quedlinburg.

In 1949, he joined the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) and studied at the Engineering School for Construction in Osterwieck until 1952. From 1952 to 1953, he thereafter was a construction manager during the construction of Stalinallee in Berlin, Junker joined the Ministry for Construction as state secretary and first deputy minister. as Minister for Construction. He had previously been an member for East Berlin since 1976.

When Junker came to power, East Germany still suffered from a post-war housing shortage. Furthermore, the historic inner cities of East Germany were neglected in favor of Plattenbauten in new planned cities such as Berlin-Marzahn and thus greatly deteriorated. Krenz and Junker had a good relationship through their shared dislike for Erich Honecker's and Günter Mittag's meddling in the government.

He was accused of illicitly collecting 20,000 East German marks annually as an honorary member of the East German Construction Academy. Additionally, it was alleged that he used funds from a reserve fund of his ministry to build private houses for SED officials.

On 28 February, Junker was released due to his poor health condition, his health having deteriorated significantly in prison. On 9 April 1990, he committed suicide by hanging in his Berlin apartment.