The 24th congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union held at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, March 30 – April 9, 1971. From left: General secretary of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity party of Germany and chairman of the national Defense Council of the German Democratic Republic Erich Honecker; Chairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic Willi Stoph, member of the political bureau of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany Hermann Axen, and the party's central committee secretary on security Paul Ferner are seen here ahead of the session.
