Emil Schnell (born 10 November 1953) is a German physicist and former politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

[1][2][3][4] During the Peaceful Revolution, in October 1989, Schnell joined the newly reconstituted Social Democratic Party in the GDR.

[1][2][3][4] During Schnell's tenure, the ministry focused on modernizing East Germany's postal and telecommunications infrastructure to align with West German standards.

This initiative aimed to enhance private communication, support economic growth, and address the GDR's outdated systems, including long postal delivery times and a poorly developed telecommunications network.

[1][2][3] Hans-Jürgen Niehof, one of Schnell's state secretaries, served as acting minister until German reunification.