Table Of ContentPolitics, Society and Government in the
German Democratic Republic:
Basic Documents
DENMARK
CZECHOSLOVAK
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC
Politics, Society and
Government in the
German Democratic Republic:
Basic Documents
Edited by
J.K.A. Thomaneck AND
James Mellis
BERG
Oxford / New York / Munich
Distributed exclusively in the US and Canada by
St Martin’s Press, New York
Published in 1989 by
Berg Publishers Limited
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© Berg Publishers Limited 1989
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Politics, society and government in
the German Democratic Republic : basic
documents.
1. East Germany. Politics, 1945-88
1. Title IL Thomaneck, J.K.A.
III. Mellis, James
320.9431
ISBN 0-85496-247-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Politics, society and government in the German Democratic Republic:
basic documents / edited by J.K.A. Thomaneck and James Mellis.
p. cm.
“Companion volume to Politics and government in the Federal
Republic of Germany”—Editor’s pref.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-85496-247-6 : $40.00 (est.)
1. Germany (East)—Politics and government—Sources.
2. Germany (East)—Social conditions—Sources. I. Thomaneck, Jürgen
II. Mellis, James
JN3971.5.A2P65 1989
320.943—dcl9
Printed in Great Britain by Short Run Press Ltd, Exeter
Contents
Editors' Preface xiii
Abbreviations xv
Introduction 1
1. The Origins of the German Democratic Republic 1945-1949 5
Dl: Protocol between the governments of the UK, the USA, and the
USSR, and the provisional government of the French Republic on the
zones of occupation in Germany and the administration of ‘Greater
Berlin', 12 September 1944, as amended by the agreements of 14
November 1944 and 26 July 1945. — D2i Statement by the governments
of the UK, the USA, and the USSR, and the provisional government of
the French Republic on control machinery in Germany, 5 June 1945. —
D3: From a report on the “Ulbricht Group” by Wolfgang Leonhard. —
D4: From Order No. 2 by the Head of the Soviet Military Administra
tion in Germany. — D5 : From the Proclamation of the Social Demo
cratic Party of Germany (SPD). — D6: From the Proclamation of the
Communist Party of Germany, 11 June 1945. —D7: Communique on
the formation of a united front of the anti-fascist democratic parties. —
D8: From the programme founding the Liberal Democratic Party of
Germany, 5 July 1945. — D9: Extract from the Order on Land Reform
of the Province of Saxony, 3 September 1945. — DIO: From Order No.
124 of the Head of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. —
Dll: From the resolution of the unification party congress, 22 April
1946. — D12: From the basic principles and aims of the Socialist Unity
Party of Germany, 22 April 1946. — D13: From the Saxony law on the
transfer of enterprises owned by war and Nazi criminals to the property
of the people, 30 June 1946. — D14: Extract from the proclamation of
the German People's Congress, 26 November 1947. — D15: Formation
of the German People's Council, 19 March 1948. — D16: From the
justification of the Two-Year Plan of 1949-50. — D17: The construc
tion of socialism in the People's Democracies.
2. The State, the Constitution and Party-Political Life 31
D18 : Results of the state elections, 20 October 1946. — D19: Formation
of the German People’s Council, 19 March — D20: From the procla
mation on the October elections by the National Council of the Na
tional Front of democratic Germany, 15 May 1950. — D21: From the
programme of the National Front of democratic Germany, 15 February
1950. — D22: From the report of the meeting of the Central Party
Committee of the LDPD in Berlin, 13 May 1948. — D23: From the
minutes of the meeting of the Principal Committee of the CDU, 5
October 1949. — D24: Internal file note from the SED party committee
on the Democratic Farmers’ Party, 18 June 1948. — D2Ï: From the
“Ten Demands” of the National Democratic Party of Germany, 19 June
1948. — D26: Internal file note from the SED party committee on the
founding of the NDPD, June 1948. — D27: From the resolution of the
1st Party Conference: the SED becomes a “party of the new type”, 28
January 1949. — D28: Law on the Constitution of the Provisional
People’s Chamber of the GDR, 7 October 1949. — D29: From the 1949
GDR constitution. — D30: From the Constitution of the German
Democratic Republic, 8 April 1968. — D31 : From the amendments to
the Constitution, 7 October 1974. — D32: Law on Elections to the
Representative Assemblies of the German Democratic Republic: Elec
tion Law of 24 June 1976. — D33: From the Constitution of the
Socialist Unity Party of Germany. — D34: Law on the Local Elected
Assemblies and their Organs in the German Democratic Republic, 12
July 1973. — D33: From an article on the SED and the Bloc parties,
January 1974. — D36: Greetings from the Central Committee of the
SED to the Twelfth Party Congress of the Democratic Farmers* Party of
Germany, April 1987. — D37: Message of greeting from the Central
Committee of the SED to the Thirteenth Party Congress of the National
Democratic Party of Germany, May 1987. — D38: Message of greeting
from the National Democratic Party of Germany to the Central Com
mittee of the SED, May 1987. — D39: Report on Erich Honecker’s
meeting with leaders of the other political parties and the National
Front, November 1987. — D40: Organizational structure of the SED.
— D41 : From the programme of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.
— D42: The construction of an advanced socialist society in the German
Democratic Republic. — D43: Political parties and political representa
tion, from The German Democratic Republic, the official handbook
produced by the foreign press agency Panorama DDR. — D44i Resolu
tion of the Central Committee of the SED and the Council of Ministers
of the GDR on the Workers’ and Farmers* Inspectorate of the GDR, 6
August 1974. — D43: Visit to the Politburo.
3. Public Opinion, Mass Organizations and the Organization of
the Masses 123
D46: From Walter Ulbricht’s speech on Socialism as a Socio-economic
Fonnation, 12 September 1967. — D47: From Walter Ulbricht's defini
tion of the “Socialist Human Community”, 22 March 1969. — D48:
From Kurt Hager: speech on the Advanced Socialist Society, 14 Oc
tober 1971. — D49: From the definition of “revolution” in the Diction
ary of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy. — D50: Letter to Erich Honecker
from the Democratic Women’s Federation of Germany (DFD). — DS1:
Excerpt from Inge Lange’s article “Policies on Women in the 35th Year
of Our Republic’s Existence”, January 1984. — D32: Report by the
Committee of the Democratic Women’s League of Germany. — D53:
From the general directive on the economic plan. — D54: From the
president’s speech at the Eleventh Congress of the League of Culture,
June 1987. — D55: From the report on die Sixth Conference of the FDJ
in Neues Deutschland. — DS6: On the role of the Free German Youth
Movement as a “helper and reserve of the Party”, from Erich Honeck-
er’s report to the Tenth Party Congress of the SED. — D57: From the
report by Harry Tisch to the Eleventh Congress of the Confederation of
Free German Trade Unions, 23 April 1987. — D58: Report on a
discussion between Harry Tisch and leading Gera trade unionists, 22
August 1987. — D39: From the closing statement by Harry Tisch to the
Eleventh Congress of the Confederation of Free German Trade Unions,
25 April 1987. — D60: From Lenin's “Role and Function of the Trade
Unions under the New Economic Policy”. — D61 : From the account of
the Third FDGB Congress in the official history of the FDGB, 30
August-3 September 1950. — D62: Proclamation of the Founding of
New Free Trade Unions, 15 June 1945. — D63 : From Walter Ulbricht's
speech at the First Trade Union Conference in Halle/Saale, 29 August
1945. — D64: From Walter Ulbricht’s speech to the Second Party
Congress of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, Berlin, 20-4 Septem
ber 1947. — D65: From Walter Ulbricht's speech to the FDGB com
mittee conference, 6-7 July 1948. — D66: Extract from the constitution
of the FDGB. — D67: From Walter Ulbricht’s speech at the Second
Party Conference of the SED, 9-12 July 1952. — D68: On the role and
duties of the trade unions, from Erich Honecker’s report to the Tenth
Party Congress of the SED, April 1981. — D69: From the President’s
Report at the Ninth Congress of the Chamber of Technology (KDT), 5
December 1987. — D70: Promotion of television and radio in the
directives for the Five-Year Plan 1976-1980. — D71: On increasing the
impact of ideological work on the masses, from Erich Honecker’s report
to the Tenth Congress of the SED. — D72: Churches and other
religious communities, from the foreign press agency’s official hand
book. — D73: From the Report on Erich Honecker’s Talks with
Church Leaders, 6 March 1978. — D74: From an interview with Erich
Honecker on Luther and Church-State relations in the GDR, 6 October
1983. — D75: From the declaration by the leaders of the Evangelical
Church in the GDR on the tenth anniversary of the Helsinki Agree-
ment, 1 August 1985. — D76: From “Theses concerning Martin Luther:
The 500th Anniversary of the Reformer’s Birth”; the official quincen
tenary brochure.
4. Economic and Social Policy 167
D77: From the Programme of the SED: on the unity of economic and
social policies, May 1976. — D78: From the handbook of the planned
socialist economy published by the State Planning Commission of the
GDR. — D79: From the statement by Willi Stoph, chairman of the
Council of Ministers, in support of the Five-Year Plan for the GDR’s
national economic development 1986-1990 and the 1987 National Econ
omic Plan, November 1986. — D80: From the GDR Central Statistical
Office’s report on the fulfilment of the economic plan in the first half of
1987. — D81: From the speech of the Chairman of the Council of
Ministers of the GDR, Willi Stoph, Member of the Politburo of the
Central Committee of the SED, to the Fifth Session of the People’s
Chamber of the GDR, introducing the Bill on the National Economic
Plan for 1988, 18 December 1987. — D82: Law on the integrated
socialist education system. — D83: From the Programme of the SED:
on the development of education and the communist upbringing of
youth. — D84: From the Five-Year Plan Act 1986-1990, adopted on 27
November 1986: on general and technical education. — D85: From the
Law on the National Economic Plan for 1988, 19 December 1987. —
D86: From Rudolf Bahro’s The Alternative; an alternative view of
education policies. — D87: From a speech made to the Third Congress
of the FDGB in 1950. — D88: From the address by the Secretary of the
Central Council of the FDJ to the Third Congress of the FDGB, 1950.
— D89: From Walter Ulbricht’s report and final address to the Second
Party Conference of the SED, 9-12 July 1950. — D90: From Erich
Honecker’s report to the Ninth Party Congress: on the growing role of
the trade unions and the further promotion of women. — D91 : From
the directives for the Five-Year Plan 1976-1980: on social policies in the
enterprises. — D92: From the SED’s programme: on the promotion of
women. — D93: From Erich Honecker’s report to the Tenth Party
Congress of the SED: the women’s policy of the SED, April 1981. —
D94: From the Directives for the Five-Year Plan 1986-1990, on social
policy in enterprises. — D95: From the Five-Year Plan Act 1986-1990,
adopted on 27 November 1986: on catering and health care. — D96:
From the Central Committee’s report to the Eleventh Party Congress of
the SED: on education and training, April 1986. — D97: From the
report by Erich Honecker to the Eleventh Party Congress of the SED in
April 1986: women in employment. — D98: From the Central Statisti
cal Office’s report for the first half of 1987: improvements in provision
for children. — D99: Law on the participation of young people in
shaping the advanced socialist society, and on their all-round promotion
in the German Democratic Republic: Youth Law of the GDR, 28
January 1974. — D100: From the Labour Code of the GDR of 16 June
1977. — D101: From the decree on the promotion of women students
with a child and expectant mothers studying at colleges and technical
schools of 10 May 1972. — D102: From the regulation on apprentice
ship of 15 December 1977. — D103: From the foreign press agency’s
official handbook The German Democratic Republic: on social policies
for the promotion of families and working women. — D104: From
Erich Honecker’s address during consultations between the Secretariat
of the Central Committee of the SED and the First Secretaries of the
District Party Organizations, 12 February 1988.
5. The Judiciary, Security and Defence 238
D105: From the official handbook The German Democratic Republic:
on the administration of justice. — D106: From the foreign press
agency’s booklet on the GDR legal system. — D107: Report on the
Plenary Meeting of the Supreme Court of the GDR, 16 December 1987.
— DIOS: Court report from Neues Deutschland. — D109: From
Werner Felfe’s address to the Fifth Meeting of the Central Committee of
the SED, 16 December 1987. — D110: From the Central Committee’s
report to the Eleventh Party Congress of the SED, April 1986. — Dill :
From the preamble to the decree by the Council of Ministers on the
People’s Police, 9 December 1964. — D112: From the Central Com
mittee of the SED’s congratulations to Erich Mielke. — D113: From
Deputy Prime Minister Willi Stoph’s declaration on the law setting up
the National Peoples’s Army, 18 January 1956. — D114: Law on the
Creation of the National People’s Army and of the Ministry for Na
tional Defence, 18 January 1956. — Dll 5: From the Law on General
Compulsory Military Service, 24 January 1962. — D116: From an
article in Neues Deutschland by Colonel H. Herbei, 3 February 1962. —
D117: From the Constitution of the German Democratic Republic, 8
April 1968. — D118: From the programme of the SED: on national
defence, May 1976. — D119: From the official handbook The German
Democratic Republic: on the National People’s Army. — D120: From
Werner Felfe’s report on behalf of the Politburo to the Fifth Meeting of
the Central Committee of the SED, 16 December 1987. — D121:
Report on the verification agreement for intermediate-range missiles, 23
December 1987.
6. Foreign Relations 265
D122: Bundestag Declaration, 28 June 1956: The Hallstein Doc
trine. — D123(a): Treaty on the basis of relations between the Federal
Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic —
Dî23(b): Letter from the government of the FRG to the government of
the GDR on German unity, 21 December 1972. — D123(c): Sup
plementary protocol to the treaty on the basis of relations between the
FRG and the GDR. — D123(d): Statements on record. — D124:
Declaration of the governments of the US, France, the USSR and GB, 18
June 1973. — D12S(a): Art. I of the Constitution of 1949. — D123(b):
Amendment to the Constitution, 1968. — D125(c): Amendment to the
Constitution, 1974. — D 126(a): The Law on Citizenship (Gesetz über
die Staatsbürgerschaft der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik,
Staatsbürgerschaftensgesetz), 20 February 1967. — Dl26(b): Additional
law on questions of citizenship (... zur Regelung von Fragen der
Staatsbürgerschaft), 16 October 1972. — Dl27: Speech by Erich Hon
ecker, General Secretary of the SED and Chairman of the Council of
State (Staatsratsvorsitzender), on “Topical Questions of the Domestic
and Foreign Policy of the GDR”, at Gera, 13 October 1980. — D128:
From the toast by Erich Honecker at a dinner in the “Redoute”, Bonn,
with Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl in September 1987. — D129:
Joint Communique on the official visit of the General Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Chair
man of the Council of State of the GDR, Erich Honecker, to the FRG
from 7-11 September 1987. — D130: From the Programme of the SED:
on relations with the FRG, May 1976. — D131: From the Politburo’s
report to the Fifth meeting of the Central Committee: on co-operation
with socialist and social democratic parties, 16 December 1987. —
D132: The West German Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs
(Staatssekretär Walter Hallstein, speaking in the Bundestag on the
special trade relationship between the two German states, 21 March
1957. — D133: From the directives for the Five-Year Plan 1981-1985
issued by the Tenth Party Congress of the SED, April 1981. — D134:
From the Constitution of the GDR, 8 April 1968. — D135: From the
programme of the SED: on foreign policy. — D136: From the Politburo
report by Werner Felfe to the Fifth meeting of the Central Committee
of the SED: co-operation with other socialist countries. — D137: From
the Politburo report by Werner Felfe to the Fifth meeting of the Central
Committee of the SED: co-operation with countries in Asia, Africa and
Latin America. — D138: From the official handbook The German
Democratic Republic: on friendship and co-operation with nations in
Asia, Africa and Latin America. — D139: The GDR and Albania agree
to exchange ambassadors. — D140: Albanian delegation’s visit to Mi
nister of Health, 16 December 1987.
7. Literature and Culture 297
D141: From Anna Seghers’ speech on “Literature’s share in forming the
consciousness of the people”, given at the Fourth Writers* Congress in
