DEVELOPMENT OF EAST GERMAN SHIPYARDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600370868-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2011
• Sequence Number: 868
• Publication Date: February 14, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/27: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600370868-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO 3ROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY German Democratic Republic DATE OF
INF00ATION 1950
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Berlin
DATE
PUBLISHED Oct 2950
LANGUAGE
THIS DOCU N[NT CONTAINS IN/ORION A/1[ttING TN[ NATIONAL D{/ERSE
THE NSAWING 01 ESPIONAGE ACT EO
01 THE UNITED STATES .:AT
Y. S. `-i0 SI ARD St. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION ON THE REVELATION
ITS NTENTS IN ANY MAKERS TO AN UNAUTHORISED PERSON IS PRO'
VISITED ST LAN. REPRODUCTION OF THIS TORN IS PROHIBITED.
DATE DIST. /// Feb 1951
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DEVELOPMENT OF EAST GERMAN SHIPYARDS
While West Gertpany is being deprived of every opportunity for. future de-
velopment in shipbuilding, a shipbuilding industry has developed in the German
Democratic Republic under a planned reconstruction program.
The center of this shipbuilding industry is in Mecklenburg, on the Baltic
Sea coast which is particularly adapted to the industry. In 1945, there were
no shipbuilding yards in existence in East Germany. Withrthe exception of the
Neptubwerft in Rostock, there were only small shipyards which were mainly con-
cerned with the repair of fishing vessels and with the construction of small
cutters for the coastal fishing industry. These shipyards were heavily dam-
aged' during the war, and they had only a very limited stock of machinery in
1945. The situation was the same, with the inland shipyards on the Elbe River,
in Boizenburg, Magdeburg, and Rosslau, and on the Havel River in Brandenburg,
In 1946s the workers returned to work and began to rebuild their indus-
try. The first project was to repair the few remaining vessels of various
types. and to clear the shipping lanes of wreckage to recreate the possibility
for inland shipping traffic..
Izl recognition of the importance of the fishing industry in feeding the
population, the construction of wooden fishing cutters was started by small
shipyards along the Baltic in 1946. In viewing the development of the ship-
yards, it should always be emphasized that it was the Soviet Army of Occupa-
tion which gave impetus to the rebuilding of. larger shipyards and which sup-
ported construction on a large scale.
The following shipyards have been built along the Baltic coast: Bodden-
werft in Damgarten, for the construction of fishing cutters; Volkswerft (peo-
ple-cwned-shipyard), in Stralsund,-forthe construction of large steel fish-
ing vessels, especially herring 1^ggers; and the two large maintenance ship-
yards, Wismar and?Warnemuende, for the repair and reconstruction of sea-going
vessels.
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To restore the greatly reduced fishing fleet by new construction as rapidly
as possible, the above-mentioned inland shipyards were also charged with the
building of wooden and steel fishing vessels, The ship hulls produced there are
transported on the inland waterways from the Elbe River via the Havel and Oder
rivers to the Baltic Sea shipyards, where they are outfitted, and then receive
the finishing touches at a _-ewly established shipyard in Wolgast.
Within the framework of the Two-Year Plan, several large shipyards arose
almost simultaneously. Already, they employ a labor force of almost 20,000 per-
scns.
The first shipyard built was a repair yard in Wismar. In a. few years, the
labor force of this shipyard increased to several thousand employees, and it be-
came necessary to coordinate the operating installations scattered throughout the
harbor area, thereby creating the new Wismar repair yard originated.
Almost simultaneously, the construction of a second; even larger, repair
yard was begun on the grougda of the f,;.rmex' Krcegerwerft in Warnemuendeo The
harbor basin was cleared of v2ecked ships, and a new quay was built with a num-
ber of fairly large workshops and auxiliary bu ldings, as veil as an administra-
tion building.
A further expansion of these two shipyards through incorporation of newly
constructed sections into the existing repair installations is planned in the
course of the rebuilding of a German merchant marine. After the final construc-
tion 'or?k has been completed, between 1951 and 1955, the labor force of these
shipyards will be nearly doubled. The German Democratic Republic's new freight-
ers which will be used to transport German-manufactured goods to the countries
of the Far East, will be built here.
The most important of the Baltic coast shipyards is the Yolkswerft in Stral-
su.nd, which was erected on the site of a former construction firm. Today, huge
workshops and crane installations give an entirely new appearance to the shore
side of Stralsund, where formerly only a few dilapidated wooden sheds stood. This
shipyard can be described as the most modern installation in Europe for the se-
ries production of fishing luggers. Heke, for the first time in the history of
German shipbuilding, the bold attempt was made to produce in assembly line pro-
duction a completely welded ship of the newest model, using the principles of
sectional construction. In the immediate vicinity are located the preparatory
workshops for steel and sheet-metal processing, workshops for machine construc-
tion, rigging, etc., and the storage area for sheet metal, steel, and wood. The
proper arrangement of these workshops has reduced transportation of components
to a minimum.
The magnitude of the workers' accomplishment in the construction, of this
shipyard can best be illustrated by the fact that only 17 months after the first
ground was broken, the productive installations were able to start operations.
On 28 June 1948, the foundation work was begun, and on 1 March 1949, Shop No 1
.was taken over by the shipyard management and production was immediately begun.
The first lugger was launched on'the occasion of the October Revolution celebra-
tion in 1949 and was christened with that name.
Activists, led by the National Prize winner, Sack, playad an important part
in the construction of the shipyard and also in production, especially the build-
ing of the "Youth Luggers."
The shipyard management has accorded special attention to the training of
new personnel. In the immediate vicinity of the shipyard, apprentice workshops
have been erected, as well as four buildings serving as living quarters which,
at present, house 600 apprentices in all branbhts of shipbuilding.
COI l IDEMIAL
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The rapid growth of the iauor force to aeveral thousand men soon confronted
the shipbuilding management with the difficult problem of housing. Here, again,
the Soviet Occupation Force 'contributed their help by making available former
barracks situated in the vicinity.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/27: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600370868-8