Erich Honecker

[orihara]

How was Erich Honecker as a leader and as a man? I don't know much about him. Was he liked by the East Germans, or was a a dictator as it is often said?

[tuwix]

A conservative bureaucrat - it's the best description I have for him as ruler. In state capitalist countries, there is very rarely a bloody dictator who rules by himself. It's rather oligarchy and full power is in hands of politburo. And he was the most important member of the Politburo.

[Hrafn]

Pretty sure you don't have to be widely unpopular to be a dictator (nor do you need to be democratic to be popular).

[The Intransigent Faction]

Two words: Berlin Wall. Whether you like him or not, his regime was responsible for shooting those who tried to cross it. So, was he liked by East Germans? By some, sure, and by others, clearly not. I'm not sure how it's been measured post-USSR, and any measures of his popularity, negatively or positively, during the Cold War are naturally suspect.

I'll admit I have always found him to be a bizarrely fascinating figure, and the problems East Germany faced went far beyond him (regarding post-war reparations, for example). He died in exile a few years after the USSR collapsed.

"Forwards forever, backwards never!" - Erich Honecker.

EDIT: To clarify, the short answer is: bureaucratic dictatorship is not a popularity contest.

[Prometeo liberado]

Whatever you may think of him one thing you can not deny, he was the flyist dictator of his time. I mean c'mon you ever take a look at the suits he wore? And the wool fedora? Get outta here.