Repression and control Flashcards
What kind of state was the GDR?
A police state
What was the NVA?
The National People’s Army - the East German military force formed in 1956 out of the People’s Police
What were the various branches of the police?
- KVP
- Criminal police
- Special police
- voluntary police
Who were the KVP?
The parliamentary police who were responsible for internal security - they had been called out in June 1953
What surveillance methods did the Stasi use?
- Phone tapping
- Video surveillance
- Agents following suspects
- Radiation tags
- Honey traps (many prostitutes worked for the Stasi)
- Blackmail
Unofficial collaborator or IM (euphemistically informal collaborator)
The “key weapon” of the Ministry for State Security (MfS) - with their help theMfSspied on the population and tried to gather information on its moods and any attempts at “subversion”
What methods did the unofficial collaborators (IMs) use?
They reported on all areas of society, infiltrated opposition groups and supplied even the most intimate information about their colleagues, friends or fellow pupils
Mary Fulbrook on the system if informing and infiltration
Even though this system was efficient it unwittingly helped destabilise the GDR - by infiltrating opposition groups some informers inevitably aided their work to maintain their credibility
What was the FDJ encouraged to participate in?
Festivals and torchlight parades (this reminded many of Hitler Youth)
- How many newspapers did the GDR have?
- How many people read these newspapers?
- How many of them were controlled directly by the SED?
The GDR had 38 newspapers read by 8.3 million of its citizens; 66 per cent of them were controlled directly by the SED but all their content was subject to SED scrutiny
What was censored in East Germany?
Post from the FRG was censored and telephone calls tapped as a matter of course
In schools, what was the main foreign language taught?
Russian
What shows that students were encouraged to embrace Russian with enthusiasm?
“Learn the language of our friends!”
What languages were far less widespread?
English and French
Why were foreign magazines and newspapers often available to buy?
As it was assumed few could read them
In 1952 Otto Grotewohl had stated that…
art and culture must be subordinate to politics
What was the purpose of art and culture?
To engender support for the regime
What model did art follow?
“Socialist realism”
What is “Socialist realism”?
A form of modern realism imposed in Russia by Stalin following his rise to power characterised in painting by rigorously optimistic pictures ofSoviet life
What was the purpose of “Socialist realism”?
To reflect and promote the ideals of a socialist society
Examples of Socialist realist art in the East German state
- “The Tractor Driver”
- “For Peace and Socialism”
- “The Builders of Socialism”
“The Tractor Driver”
This mural portrays a tractor driver as a hero and symbol of industrial progress
It represents the emphasis on agriculture and the important role of the working class in advancing the country’s development
“For Peace and Socialism”
This painting portrays a scene of factory workers engaged in industrial production with an emphasis on unity and cooperation and productivity of the working class
“The Builders of Socialism”
This monumental painting depicts a group of workers and farmers (both men and women) confidently marching forward - it represents the collective efforts of the working class in building socialism
What were removed from libraries, museums and galleries?
Politically suspect books and paintings (some work which had been banned by the Nazis now found itself banned again)
Who is the famous Socialist German playwright?
Bertolt Brecht
What were all 16 trade unions affiliated to?
The FDGB
What per cent of the labour force did the FDGB represent?
97%
What did the FDGB stand for?
The Free German Trade Union Federation
What wad the FDGB and what did it do?
The official East German trade union organisation - it represented the interests of workers and played a significant role in promoting socialist values and the economic system
The FDGB was committed to the fulfilment of the…
Five-Year Plans and offered incentives to workers including honorific titles such as Hero of Labour
When did workers loose the right to strike?
1961
In the 1970s the FDGB became much more involved in…
the implementation of social welfare such as the provision of pensions and social insurance
Why were the youth important?
They were the adults and functionaries of the future
When was the FDJ founded?
March 1946 with Erich Honecker as its head
What was the main role of the FDJ?
The political indoctrination of the young
__________ for the FDJ waned as teenagers grew older
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm for the FDJ waned as teenagers grew older - provide evidence to support this
66% of 18 to 25 year old left the organisation
How did membership in the FDJ affect young people’s lives in the GDR?
Membership in the FDJ was highly encouraged and often considered beneficial for educational and career opportunities - it also played a role in shaping their political beliefs and loyalty to the socialist regime
