Hans-Joachim "Jochen" Willerding (born 19 April 1952) is a former politician (SED) of the German Democratic Republic.
A couple of days later the Berlin Wall was breached, setting in motion events that would lead to reunification in October 1990.
Much sooner than that, however, the promising career of Willerding at the top level of the East Germany's political power structure was cut short on 2 December 1989 when the Central Committee resigned en masse.
He had joined the Free German Youth organisation (FDJ/) Freie Deutsche Jugend) in 1966 and the ruling (SED / Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands) in 1971.
[1] Willerding had already, in 1971/72, worked as an instructor in the FDJ, and after completing his studies he returned to the organisation, which was in effect the youth wing of the SED, as a ahead office official.
Although he was a member of the ruling SED (party), in the Volkskammer he sat as a representative of the FDJ which, as an approved quasi-political mass movement, received a quota of 37 seats.
This was an important step under a constitutional structure that by now expressly asserted the "leading role" of the party, above government ministers and the national legislature.