Life in the German Democratic Republic

In 1949 the country of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), commonly known in the West as East Germany, came into existence. Its capital was East Berlin and it was ruled by the Socialist Unity Part of Germany, an independent branch of the Soviet Communist party. In 1989, a non-violent revolution took place that overthrew the Communists and led to East German reunification with the West, to recreate the country of Germany (3rd October 1990)

Elections:
As part of the Potsdam Agreement (the Allies agreement about how to organise and run Germany following World War 2), the Soviets had agreed to support a democratic form of government in Germany and to allow other non-communist political parties to run in elections. However, elections were still effectively controlled by the Socialist Unity Party (SED). There was little or no secrecy and the consequences for not voting for the approved candidate could be severe: loss of job, expulsion for school and close surveillance by the Stasi (see below).

Military Service:
All men were required to take part in 18 months of compulsory military service. If a man was medically unfit or was a conscientious objector, he would serve his time in a construction unit, preparing military equipment, spaces or buildings.

The Economy:
The German Democratic Republic was a member of Comecon (the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). This group was made up of those Communist states connected to the Soviet Union within Europe. Like other member states, the GDR had a centrally planned economy (CPE), in contrast to the market economies or mixed economies of capitalist states. This meant that the state (or government) established targets for production (e.g. the amount of an item that would be produced for that year) and fixed prices, and they allocated resources. The state then put these decisions in a comprehensive plan. The means of production were almost entirely state-owned, as accorded with Marxist-Leninist principles.

Censorship:
Following the end of the Nazi Regime at the end of World War Two, many believed that censorship was a necessary way of keeping control of the mass media and the production of art and other cultural artefacts. In 1946 the Cultural Advisory Board was established to identify works of a fascist or militarist nature and remove them from public circulation. A new culture was supposed to be

established of an educational nature. The effect of this was two-fold: 1. Artists were expected to self-censor their creative output; 2. Political leaders tended to overestimate the influence on public opinion of works and thus overreacted to them. For each year, a cultural plan was worked out and the emphasis for that year was expected to be evident in works produced. By 1951, even artists who were staunchly socialist were suffering under the effects of their censorship.

Propaganda:
Propaganda was used within the GDR to instil in and strengthen the populations attitudes towards Marxist-Leninist ideas. However, despite having sealed borders, most people within the GDR had access to West German radio and television and therefore had available to them alternative sources of information.

Education:
The education system in the GDR sought to develop an all-round socialist individual. It provided pre-school education for free. At age 6, compulsory schooling began, with basic education provided. At age 10, students would begin learning sciences, social sciences and modern languages (Russian and then choice of English, French, Polish or Czech). At age 13, technical subjects were introduced. An important feature of the education system of the GDR was the establishment of special schools for elite athletes, artists, Russian language speakers, mathematicians and scientists. Those who left school at 16 were required to enter into vocational training that took place both in a vocational school and a workplace. At university, the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism, Russian, sport and military training were compulsory subjects.

Dealing with Opposition:

Opposition to the Socialist Unity Party (SED) within the GDR come in three different phases. Phase Late 1940s & 1950s Form of Opposition Mass immigration to West Germany Challenges to leadership in the SED Ways in which SED dealt with Opposition Opposition parties forced to amalgamate or dismantle Expulsion of party members with socialdemocratic tendencies Imprisonment for dissenters Building of Berlin Wall Removal from jobs Isolation Force emigration House-arrest Imprisonment Repressive measures brought against opposition groups Discrimination and harassment

1960s & 1970s

Opposition centred on specific individuals who expressed dissent (Wolf Biermann)

1970s & 1980s

Development of oppositional groups Large number of citizens applying to emigrate to West Germany

The Stasi
The Stasi was the official state security service of the German Democratic Republic. It derived its name from the Ministry of State Security, in German the Ministerium fr Staatssicherheit, and was a form of secret police, comparable with the KGB in Russia. It had a strong reputation as an extremely efficient and repressive intelligence agency. It worked for the Socialist Unity Party and had as its motto Shield and Sword of the Party. The Stasi worked on a programme of infiltration, appointing spies and informants, and using surveillance equipment, such as video cameras, in almost all social and in many personal spaces, including in apartments and hotel rooms. Places such as schools and universities were particularly targeted. Friends and relatives would actively spy on each other, while full-time officers were placed in major industries to undertake surveillance on productivity. The Stasi were also involved in the interrogation and punishment of those people found to be showing opposition to the GDR. Punishment could involve imprisonment or execution. Executions were usually done in strict secrecy and the family of the executed were rarely made aware of the sentence and death. The Stasi also worked internationally (but in secret) to assist other socialist governments, groups and secret police in their establishment or takeover of a nations control. Such work included helping Fidel Castro in Cuba and Idi Amin in Uganda and assisting the KGB in spreading the rumour that the US created HIV/AIDS.