Hence, for most of the GDR's existence, the Council of Ministers was not the highest authority in the country, but was charged with implementing the SED's policies into practical administration.

The Council was led by a chairman (Vorsitzender), who was usually called "prime minister" in non-German sources.

The secretaries and department managers in the Central Committee were authorized to give instructions to the ministers as necessary.

Until the Wende in the fall of 1989, the two first deputy chairmen were Werner Krolikowski and Alfred Neumann, who were both members of the SED Politbüro.

Within the centralized state structure of the GDR, the city, county and district administrations were subordinated to the Council.

Modrow was succeeded by Lothar de Maizière after what turned out to be the only free election ever held in East Germany, in March 1990.

In addition, the Council’s Press Office made official government announcements and was responsible for the accreditation of foreign journalists in the GDR.

(until 1954: Labor) (from 1971: Working Group "Organization and Inspection") (1989–1990: Finance and Prices) also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn also General Director of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (1957–1989: Secretariat for Church Affairs) (1963–1968: Agricultural Council;1968–1971: Council for Agricultural Production and Food Economy)[3] (1951–1958: State Secretariat for Higher Education;1958–1967: State Secretariat for Higher and Technical Education) (from 1990: Research and Technology) (until 1958: Labor and Health; 1989 to 1990: Health and Social Affairs) (1949–1954: Government Chancellery; 1954–1962: Office of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers;1962–1974: Office of the Council of Ministers;1974–1990: Secretariat of the Council of Ministers) (from 1990: Labor and Social Affairs) In addition to the departments that are usual in every government, the Council of Ministers was characterized by a large number of industry ministries that were set up from 1950 onwards.

1958[5] the industrial ministries were dissolved and merged in 1961[5] in the newly founded People's Economic Council (VWR).