Honecker, Margot (1927–)

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Honecker, Margot (1927–)

East German cabinet official. Name variations: Margot Feist. Born Margot Feist in Halle an der Saale, April 17, 1927; dau. of Gotthard Feist; became 2nd wife of Erich Honecker (1912–1994, head of GDR party and state), 1953; children: Sonja Honecker Yanez. Erich Honecker's 1st wife was Edith Baumann (1909–1973), who had daughter Erika Honecker.

Minister of public education (1963–89), whose 26-year tenure reflected the ideology of the GDR's hard-line Communist regime; was known to many East Germans simply as "die Hexe" (the witch); after fall of the GDR, was accused of having forced political dissidents to surrender their children for adoption, as well as of presiding over a reform school known as "Margot's concentration camp" where truant minors were mistreated to the point that some committed suicide (1992); found refuge in Chile with daughter's family (1992).

See also Women in World History.