Siegfried Böhm | |
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Minister of Finance of the German Democratic Republic | |
In office 12 December 1966 – 5 May 1980 | |
Prime Minister |
|
Preceded by | Willy Rumpf |
Succeeded by | Werner Schmieder |
Personal details | |
Born | 20 August 1928 Plauen, Weimar Republic |
Died | 4 May 1980 Berlin-Karlshorst, German Democratic Republic | (aged 51)
Nationality | German |
Political party | Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1948-) |
Siegfried Böhm (20 August 1928 – 4 May 1980) was an East German politician and long-term finance minister of East Germany. He was in office for nearly fourteen years between 1966 and 1980.
Böhm was born in Plauen on 20 August 1928. [1] He received a degree in economics. [2]
Böhm was appointed the finance minister in December 1966, succeeding Willy Rumpf in the post. [2] Böhm's term lasted until 1980. [1] He was among the central committee members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. [3] He was also a member of the Working Group Balance of Payments from 1974 to 1980. [1] Böhm was one of the first officials who alerted the East German authorities about the negative consequences of the indebtedness to the Western countries. [1] [4] He also criticized the illegal currency and gold transactions carried out in the country. [5]
Böhm died at his home in Berlin-Karlshorst on 4 May 1980. [1] [6] The East German officials reported on the next day that his wife shot him during a quarrel and then she committed suicide. [3] [7] The official paper Neues Deutschland argued that Böhm and his wife died in an accident without giving any further details about the incident. [8] One week later their children issued an obituary in a state-controlled paper. [8]
Böhm was buried in a state ceremony. [8] He was succeeded by Werner Schmieder as finance minister in June 1980. [9] [10]
It was revealed in 2003 as a result of the investigations that Böhm was in fact killed by an East German hit squad due to his potential reports about the bankruptcy faced in East Germany. [7] His wife was also murdered by the squad to fabricate the official story of his death. [7]