Est. of relationship/ dialogue between Churches and State Flashcards
what was the overarching goal of the SED towards Churches?
To limit their influence and control them
In what decade did the Churches see more cooperation with the state?
the 1970s
In which two ways were the state and church agreed during the 1970s?
For the Church to help with community ventures and for the movements involving peace and anti-nuclear sentiments
In 1978 what happened?
The Concordat of 1978
What was allowed in the Concordat?
- The Church allowed more media time
- The importation of religious books allowed from the West as demand wasn’t being satisfied as the numbers of religious adherents increased
- allowed to receive FRG currency for Church funds, especially for the renovation of Churches
What did the Churches do increasingly more of during the 1970s, what did this lead to?
They reached out to the more vulnerable in society which lead to heightened suspicion from the SED because these people often opposed to socialism
What did the SED never learn about the Churches in terms of control?
That they could not be controlled in the same way as SED Cadres could be because they were diverse
What else did the SED fail to understand?
That people will more often than not follow their religious teachings than the current political ideology if there was conflict between the two
There was also tension about what regarding popularity?
That the Church would enhance its popularity even if it meant going against the State because they (like many other religions) wanted to convert more people into their faith
In what years did the state view the churches has a potential opposition group because they were dependent on the west for finance and ideology?
1945 -1969
why did church leaders not really care about whether or not they had a relationship with the GDR?
the survival of the GDR was still uncertain
What the name given to the fist decade of the GDR regarding the churches?
Kirchenkampf, or battle against the churches
What group was formed within SED to coordinate church activities in the best interests of the state?
Secretariat for Church Affairs
In October 1960 what did Ulbricht announce?
‘Christianity and the humanistic goals of socialism were not incompatible.’
What Ulbricht’s statement focus on?
It allegedly focused on the common goals of peace
Recognised the importance of the Church in social welfare programmes
While there was a somewhat of a closer relationship between Church and state it wasn’t wholly compliant. An example of this?
The creation of the Construction Force
what percentage of funding did the churches receive from the FRG?
forty percent
In what years where there cooperation between church and state?
1969-1978
In 1971 Schonherr (two dots above o) made a speech that stated what?
‘we want to be a church not alongside, not against, but within socialism’
In which two ways did the church and state cooperate socially?
- Church running care homes and helping out with community ventures
- Church tended to oppose nuclear armament in NATO much more vocally than in the Warsaw Pact
In which ways did the church and state cooperate well politically?
- church gained GDR some international recognition as it appeared not to be persecuted
- church state alliance in keeping with ostpolitik
In which years did compromise and contention happen?
1978-1989
what was the height of cooperation?
The concordat of 1978
What did Honecker agree that the churches could do? (as part of the concordat, not more media time, literature)
build churches and places of worship in places were religious participation had fallen (in newly residential areas)
What did the SED finally recognise when Honecker came to power?
That a relationship between church and state had to be reaffirmed
What percentage of synod meetings were packed with informers from the Stasi?
25%
What was there little intention to do among influential Church figures?
That the Church would be centre of opposition to the regime
What frustrated church groups and state groups about the relationship between 1978-1989? What was the common policy?
The church felt like they weren’t doing enough nor was the state exerting enough control, the common approach was to not compromise the 1978 Concordat
What is the Manfred Stolpe dilemma?
He was an informer for the Stasi whilst being a prominent church figure too. policy of dualism common among many, as it allowed for people to show support for the regime whilst being at a position to best influence the worst excesses of the regime