Günther Jahn

Günther Jahn (9 January 1930 – 29 October 2015) was a German politician and functionary of the Free German Youth (FDJ) and the Socialist Unity Party (SED).

East Germany
His father was the locksmith and KPD functionary Hermann Jahn. His older brother was the economist and Marx-Engels researcher Wolfgang Jahn. Günther Jahn attended elementary and secondary school in Erfurt from 1936 to 1946. In 1946, he joined the Free German Youth (FDJ) and the KPD (later SED) and obtained his high school diploma in 1948 from the Humboldt School in Erfurt. From 1948 to 1950, he studied economics at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and completed his studies in 1952 at the University of Economics in Berlin, earning a diploma in economics.

Reunified Germany
He was married to the physician Esther Jahn since 1952, who passed away in October 2011. They had two children, including a son. Jahn lived as a retiree in Potsdam-Babelsberg.

Günther Jahn passed away on 29 October 2015, at the age of 85 in Fichtenwalde.

Early career
From 1954 to 1956 and 1962 to 1964, he initially served as a political employee in the Planning Sector of the Planning and Finance Department of the Central Committee of the SED. From 1956 to 1961, he pursued postgraduate studies at the SED Institute for Social Sciences. In 1961, he earned his doctorate (Dr. rer. oec.) with a dissertation on Economic Councils and Socialist Reconstruction in the GDR's Industry. Until 1962, he was a visiting lecturer at this institute.

From 1964, Jahn was the Deputy Head of Ideological Work at the Office for Industry and Construction within the Politburo of the Central Committee of the SED. In 1965 to 1966, he led the Working Group for Socialist Economic Management.

In these roles, Jahn was involved in the development of Walter Ulbricht's New Economic System.

Free German Youth
He became the Second Secretary in 1966 and in 1967, succeeding Horst Schumann, he became the First Secretary of the Central Council of the FDJ. In the same year, he became a full member of the Central Committee of the SED and a member of the Volkskammer, a position he held until 1990. As a member of the Volkskammer, he served in the Youth Committee until 1976 and later became the First Deputy Chairman of the Rules Committee.

During his time as the top FDJ official, he was informally mocked as 'Jubel-Jahn' ('Jubilant Jahn') due to his impulsive exclamations like 'Long live international solidarity' at political events.

On 17 August 1970, Red Army Faction terrorist Ulrike Meinhof asked for a meeting with Jahn. Though not granted, the attempt marked the beginning of the GDR's covert support of the RAF and their members.

Egon Krenz succeeded him as the First Secretary of the FDJ Central Council in 1973.

Bezirk Potsdam SED career
In 1974, Jahn joined the Bezirk Potsdam SED as the Second Secretary. In January 1976, he rose to the position of the First Secretary after longtime incumbent Werner Wittig surprisingly died.

Unlike other First Secretaries such as Hans Modrow, Jahn was not one of the prominent figures, strictly executing party decisions.

Jahn took interest in Potsdam's movie industry, personally taking charge of the planning and securing financial aid of the GDR's film museum, opened in 1981. At the same time, artists also feared backlash from him regarding political content. For example, Jahn made sure a political satire was stopped to be played in 1989.

Günther Jahn was awarded the Karl Marx Order in 1973, the Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold in 1980, and the Banner of Labor Order in 1984.

Peaceful Revolution
Though initially opposed to dialogue with demonstrators and reform, Jahn eventually criticized Erich Honecker shortly before his downfall, accusing him of weak leadership and insisting on change.

In November 1989, he resigned from this position, and in December of the same year, he resigned with the entire SED Central Committee. The Bezirk Potsdam SED choose reformer Heinz Vietze as his successor as First Secretary.

In autumn 1991, he left the SED's successor party, the PDS.