Editing Hans Modrow (section)

==Communist party career==
Modrow had a long political career in East Germany, serving as a member of the ''[[Volkskammer]]'' from 1957 to 1990 and in the SED's [[Central Committee]] (ZK) from 1967 to 1989, having previously been a candidate for the ZK from 1958 to 1967.<ref name="Zur Person"/> From 1961 to 1967 he was first secretary of the district administration of the SED in Berlin-[[Köpenick]] and secretary for [[Agitprop|agitation and propaganda]] from 1967 to 1971 in the SED's district leadership in Berlin.<ref name="Zur Person"/> During this time he was involved in the formation of the [[1. FC Union Berlin|Union Berlin]] football club,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/world/europe/hans-modrow-dead.html |title=Hans Modrow, 95, Dies; One of East Germany's Last Communist Leaders |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Christopher F. |last=Schuetze |date=15 February 2023 |accessdate=16 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ludewig |first=Alexander |date=12 February 2016 |title=Der 1. FC Union als Hauptstadtklub im geteilten Berlin |url=https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1001500.der-fc-union-als-hauptstadtklub-im-geteilten-berlin.html |language=German |newspaper=[[Neues Deutschland]] |location=Berlin |publisher=Neues Deutschland Druckerei und Verlag GmbH |access-date=16 February 2023}}</ref> which is based in the Köpenick district. From 1971 to 1973 he worked as the head of the SED's [[Departments of the SED Central Committee#Agitation|Department for Agitation]].<ref name="Zur Person"/> In 1975 he was awarded the GDR's [[Patriotic Order of Merit]] in gold<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nd-archiv.de/artikel/1503455.vaterlaendischer-verdienstorden-in-gold.html|title=Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Gold|language=de|work=Neues Deutschland|page=5|date=1 October 1975|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and received the award of the [[Order of Karl Marx]] in 1978.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nd-archiv.de/artikel/1852762.karl-marx-orden-an-hans-modrow-verliehen.html|title=Karl-Marx-Orden an Hans Modrow verliehen|language=de|work=Neues Deutschland|page=2|date=28 January 1978|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

From 1973 onward, he was the SED's first secretary in [[Bezirk Dresden]], making him the top official in East Germany's third-largest [[Administrative divisions of East Germany#List of Bezirke|district]].<ref name="Zur Person"/> He was prevented from rising to national office, largely because he was one of the few in leadership to publicly oppose [[Erich Honecker]]. He developed some important contacts with the [[Soviet Union]], including eventual Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]. Modrow initially supported Gorbachev's [[glasnost]] and [[perestroika]] reforms.<ref name=":0" /> In early 1987, Gorbachev and the [[KGB]] considered facilitating Honecker's ouster with a view to bringing Modrow to leadership.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bild.de/news/bild-english/kgb-secret-1987-coup-plot-against-east-german-leader-9366104.bild.html |title=Did KGB plot a coup against the East German leader in 1987? |work=[[Bild]] |date=30 October 2009 |access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref> From 1988 to 1989, the [[Stasi]], under the orders of Honecker and [[Erich Mielke]], vigorously investigated Modrow to attempt to frame him for [[high treason]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Andreas Debski |url=http://www.lvz.de/Region/Mitteldeutschland/Honecker-wollte-Modrow-ins-Gefaengnis-sperren-lassen |title=Honecker wollte Modrow ins Gefängnis sperren lassen |work=[[Leipziger Volkszeitung]] |date=5 June 2018 |access-date=16 February 2019 |language=de}}</ref>