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Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)The Christian Democratic Union was an East German political party founded in 1945. It was part of the National Front with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) until 1989. It contended the free elections in 1990 as an arm of the West German Christian-Democratic Union of Germany, which it merged into after German Reunification. Party politics The CDU was primarily made up of middle class Christians, that officially embraced socialism after its Sixth Party Congress in 1952, declaring that socialist society affords the best opportunities for Christians to practise their religion, a curious contradition to Karl Marx's thoughts on religion. It should be noted, however, that the dominance of the SED was a major factor in the CDU's sudden embrace of socialism; by the early 1950s, the CDU was effectively an arm of the SED designed to appeal to Christians. In 1950s the leader of the CDU was Otto Nuschke, a former member of German Democratic Party during the Weimar Republic. He was a close ally of the Communists. In 1966 Gerald Goetting was elected as Chairman. Before that he was the party's General Secretary. Like Nuschke, Goetting was a loyal ally of the Communists. Goetting remained Chairman untill 2 November 1989, when he was replaced. In December 1989 Lothar de Maizire, a lawyer and deputy chairman of the Evangelical Church Synod of East Germany, was elected chairman. From that point the party renounced socialism. In March 1990 the CDU won the first, free general elections and became the biggest party in the People's Chamber. In April De Maizere became Prime Minister of the GDR. In October 1990 the East German CDU merged with the West German CDU Chairmen General Secretaries East German CDU Politicians
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