Former East German Defense Official Fritz Streletz Dies at 98

Streletz's death renews focus on his controversial legacy tied to the Berlin Wall and DDR border policies.

Fritz Streletz, former Deputy Minister of Defense of East Germany, passed away on March 24, 2025, in a care facility in Oranienburg, Brandenburg, after a long illness.
Streletz was a central figure in the DDR's military and political leadership, serving as Secretary of the National Defense Council and Deputy Commander of Warsaw Pact forces.
In 1993, he was convicted of incitement to manslaughter for his role in the DDR's border regime and sentenced to five and a half years in prison, a conviction later upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in 2001.
He consistently defended the Berlin Wall as a necessary measure to prevent war, co-authoring a 2011 book justifying its construction, while denying the existence of a shoot-to-kill order.
Streletz's death has prompted renewed discussions about the legacy of DDR leadership and the moral and legal accountability of its policies.