Egon Rudi Ernst Krenz (born 19 March 1937) is a former politician from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), who was the country's last communist leader during the final months of 1989. He succeeded Erich Honecker as the leader of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany SED, but was forced to resign only months later when the Berlin Wall fell.Throughout his career, Krenz held a number of prominent positions in the dictatorship of the SED.