s . ▁ ▁The ▁oper ational ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁Ex il - CD U ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁East ▁Bureau ▁of ▁the ▁CD U . ▁The ▁General ▁Secret ariat ▁of ▁the ▁Ex il - CD U ▁was ▁formed . ▁ ▁It ▁divided ▁into ▁ 5 ▁regional ▁groups ▁for ▁the ▁ 5 ▁l änder ▁of ▁the ▁G DR . ▁Every ▁ 2 ▁years , ▁a ▁con gress ▁of ▁the ▁Ex il - CD U ▁was ▁held . ▁ ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁members , ▁which ▁was ▁nearly ▁ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁stead ily ▁decl ined ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁no ▁new ▁members ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁join , ▁and ▁ended ▁with ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁members . ▁The ▁Ex il - CD U ▁held ▁inform al ▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁Christian ▁Democr ats ▁in ▁the ▁G DR ▁( which ▁was ▁pun ish able ▁as ▁an ▁illegal ▁contact ▁in ▁the ▁G DR ). ▁However , ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁official ▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁East ▁CD U . ▁ ▁The ▁Ex il - CD U ▁existed ▁until ▁reun ification . ▁ ▁Chair men ▁▁▁ ▁Jakob ▁Kaiser ▁( 1 9 5 0 - 1 9 6 1 ) ▁ ▁Ernst ▁Lem mer ▁( 1 9 6 1 - 1 9 7 0 ) ▁ ▁Johann ▁Bapt ist ▁Grad l ▁( 1 9 7 0 - 1 9 8 7 ) ▁ ▁Sieg fried ▁Lü bel ▁( 1 9 8 7 - 1 9 9