Gerald Goetting (born 9 June 1923) was an East German Christian Democratic politician.

He was born in Nietleben . During World War II he worked at the Reichsarbeitsdienst and he served as a Wehrmacht soldier.

After the war he joined the East German Christian Democratic Union (CDU). During 1947-1949 he studied Germanism, history and philology at the Martin Luther University of Halle .

In 1949 he became General Secretary of the CDU. From 1949 to 1990 he was a member of the People's Chamber (Parliament). From 1958 to 1963 he was Deputy Prime Minister of the GDR and from 1963 to November 1989 he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of State (Vice-President of the GDR). From 1969 to 1976 Goetting served as Chairman of the People's Chamber (and from 1969 to 1989 as Vice-Chairman).

From 1961 to 1969 he was Vice-President of the German-African Society and from 1963 he was a member of the Albert Schweitzer Committee. In 1976 he was elected Chairman of the People's Friendship League of the GDR.

At the 1966 party congress of the CDU, Goetting was elected Chairman of the party. As Chairman he worked closely with the other parties of the National Front and with the Communist government. During his party leadership he published brochures about the relationship between Christianity and Socialism.

On 2 November 1989, just days before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Goetting resigned as party Chairman. On 7 November 1989 he also resigned as a member of Council of State.

In December 1989 he was arrested, but realeased in Ferbruary 1990. In 1991 he was charged because of defraudation of party funds. In February of that year he was expelled from the CDU.

See also

• Christian Democratic Union of Germany

Bibliography

• Goetting, Gerald, Der Christ zagt ja zum Sozialismus (1960)
• Goetting, Gerald, Begegnung mit Albert Schweitzer (1961)
• Goetting, Gerald, Christen und Marxisten in gemeinsamer Verantwortung (1974)
• Goetting, Gerald, Christliche Demokraten auf dem Weg in die 90e Jahre (1988)
• Goetting, Gerald, Prediger für eine gerechte Welt (1989)
• Childs, David, The GDR: Moscow's German Ally. London: George Allen & Unwin (1983)