East Germany's last Communist premier dies aged 95

FILE PHOTO: Hans Modrow, former prime minister of East Germany, poses on the red carpet during the fourth Semperopernball in the eastern German town of Dresden, January 16, 2009. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) -Hans Modrow, who as the last Communist prime minister of East Germany oversaw democratic reforms that opened the way to German reunification, has died at age 95, Germany's hard-left Die Linke party said on Saturday.

"Last night Hans Modrow left us at the age of 95. With this, our party loses an important personality," the party, successor to the East German Communist Party, said in a statement.