What is Manfred Gerlach?
{{Infobox_President | name='''Manfred Gerlach''' | image=Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1986-0617-034, Prof. Dr. Manfred Gerlach.jpg | nationality=[[Germany|German]] | order=[[Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany]] | term_start=1967 | term_end=1990 | predecessor=[[Rainer Ortleb]] | successor= | birth_date={{birth date|1928|5|8|df=y}} | birth_place=[[Leipzig]], [[Germany]] | death_date={{death date and age|2011|10|17|1928|5|8|df=y}} | death_place=[[Berlin]], [[Germany]] | spouse= | party=[[Liberal Democratic Party of Germany]] | profession=[[Lawyer]] | order2=[[Leaders of East Germany|Chairman of the Council of State of the German Democratic Republic]] | term_start2=1989 | term_end2=1990 | predecessor2=[[Egon Krenz]] | successor2= }} '''Manfred Gerlach''' (8 May 1928—17 October 2011) was the last President of the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany), and the only non-communist to be president.<ref name=grimes>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/europe/manfred-gerlach-east-german-leader-dies-at-83.html |title=Manfred Gerlach, East German Leader, Dies at 83 |first=William |last=Grimes |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 October 2011|location=[[New York, NY|New York]] |issn=0362-4331 |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref> Born in [[Leipzig]] in 1928, Gerlach was arrested at school in 1944 for starting an [[anti-fascism|anti-fascist]] youth group.<ref name=grimes/> After [[World War Two]] he joined the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This was one of the small [[Political party|political parties]] that the [[communist]] government allowed to exist. He studied law at the [[Walter Ulbricht German Academy of State Sciences and Law]]. During the 1950s he became General Secretary of the LDP and the mayor of Leipzig.<ref name=grimes/> From 1967 to 1990 he was on the Council of State, and its vice-chairman. He became chairman of the LDP in 1967 until it merged with two other parties in 1990, to take part in the first free elections in East Germany.<ref name=grimes/> When [[Egon Krenz]] r