Helga Labs (born 22 May 1940) is an East German politician who served as the minister of public education of East Germany. As a member of the ruling party

Socialist Unity Party The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Ma ...

(SED), she held several political and public posts in East Germany.

Early life and education

Labs was born in Wenigtreben on 22 May 1940. Between 1955 and 1959 she studied at the institute for teacher training in

Rochlitz Rochlitz (; , ) is a major district town (Große Kreisstadt) in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the "municipal partnership Rochlitz" (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Rochlitz) with its other members being the mu ...

and received a degree in teaching.

Career

Labs joined the Rochlitz branch of the

Free German Youth The Free German Youth (; FDJ) is a youth movement in Germany. Formerly, it was the official youth wing of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. The organization was meant for young adults, both male a ...

organization in 1956 and served as its secretary between 1959 and 1960. In 1959 he became a member of the SED. In 1974 she was named as the head of the

Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation The Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation (), consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 in East Germany. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the C ...

, a youth organization, replacing

Egon Krenz Egon Rudi Ernst Krenz (; born 19 March 1937) is a German former politician who was the last Communist leader of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) during the Revolutions of 1989. He succeeded Erich Honecker as the Secretary (title), ...

in the post. Lab's tenure lasted until 1985, and she was replaced by Wilfried Poßner in the post. Labs was a member of the central committee of the SED from 1976 to 3 December 1989. She also served as chairman of the teaching and education union. In November 1989 she was appointed minister of public education, replacing

Margot Honecker 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 Vol ...

in the post.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Labs, Helga 20th-century German women politicians 1940 births Living people Women government ministers of East Germany Members of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany Free German Youth members People from Bolesławiec County Members of the 9th Volkskammer