RESPONSIBILITIES OF POLITICAL ORGANS IN GDR AGRICULTURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180358-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 358
• Publication Date: May 26, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CGRFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD N0.
COUNTRY GDR
SUBJECT Economic -Agriculture
Political - Party activity, villages
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE ?
PUBLISHED Berlin
DATE
PUBLISHED 27, 28 Jan 1954
LANGUAGE German
DATE DIST. a6 May 1954
N0. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
[Comment: The following information is taken from two issues
of a GDR daily newspaper, Neuea Deutschland. Moat of the informa-
tion is extracted from a apeec entit ed Expand Political Maes
Work in Villages" given by Erich Mueckenberger, a Secretary of the
ZK (Central Committee) of the 3ED (Socialist Unity Party) who is
responsible for agricultural matters, at the 17th meeting of the ZK
of the SED on 22 and 23 January 1954. The speech deals primarily
with the tasks required to strengthen political control in all
phases of agricultural life, including the LPSs (Agricultural Pro-
duction Cooperatives), VEGs (People-Owned Farms), MTSs (Machine
Tractor Stations), and VDGB-BHGs (Farmers' Mutual Aid Asaocie-
tiona and Farmers' Trade Cooperatives). The speech also contains
criticism of party work in the field of agriculture.
The remainder of the information consists of excerpts from
an article entitled "The Village Newspaper - An Important Medium
for Political Agitation," which was written by Georg Wenk, member
of the Hezirk management of the SED in Cot?bus.
Excerpts From Speech by Mueckenberger
Some central and local g8vernmental organs, as well sa party managements,
have not yet realized that the following conditions have made the administra-
tion of the village more complicated for the party and the government organs;
establishment of the MTSs, VEGs, and LPGs; the principle of levying delivery
quotas per hectare; the struggle for a more rapid increase in crop yields, and
the struggle for an over-ell development of livestock breeding. It ie there-
fore necessary, in carrying out the new course, that attention be given to
the importance of the village, to the problems oi' agriculture, and to all prob-
lems of political mass work in the village.
STATE
ARMY
Falb __r~ DI51 1
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The VEGs must be developed into highly productive sad profitable model
farms, and they must exert a strong influence toward a more rapid political
development of the villages. The party organizations are frequently negligent
in political persuasion work, is the enforcement of strict work dieclpline, sad
in the application of new xork methods, Consequently the Main Department of .
VEGe must see to it that the leadership of the VEGs is strengthened by politi-
cally and technically qualified members. The Bezirk and Kreis managements of
the SED must be fully responsible for the political and moral training of agri-
cultural workers and for the elevation of the level of party work in the VEGs.
The party work must be supported by the agricultural workers in the VEGs. In
many VEGa there is still no systematic recruiting of candidates among agricul-
tural workers. Above a11, it is important that political leaders be appointed
more rapidly in all VEGs.
It is necessary to call the attention of the ZK to the Tact that a Large
number of LPG members are former farm hands. In this connection it appears
that various LPGs, such es the Oschatz LPG, have not treated these agricultural
workers as full-fledged LPG members. This is not in keeping with the law and
weakens the LPGs. It is t?e duty of Bezirk and Kreis managements, party organ-
izations, and guvernment organs to see to it that the former hired hands receive
,farm plots and that they are supported in the development of their private farms
There have also been complaints that the local, Kreis, and Bezirk governmental
organs, especially the burgomasters, are neglecting the LPGs and, in some cases,
burgomastersorepresent reactionaorowheretthey are actually enemiessofhthe LPGs,
it is the respuusibiiity oi' the party organization to bring this matter up for
group discussion, for example, in village public meetings, and to see to it
that proErressive burgomasters are chosen. '
The sponsorship work of party organizations of [industrial] enterprises
sponsoring agricultural groups should include political support for the party
organizations of the LPGs, aid for the agricultural party organizations in the
development of party work, and aid in the destruction of enemy elements in the
village. Tne economic and political strengthening of the LPGs is closely con-
nected with the strengthening of party work in the LPGs. At present there are
party organizations or candidate groups in about 60 percent of the LPGs. This
is inadequate. The Kreis managements and the political managements of the
M15s must be systematically engaged in building up party organize*,fons and
candidate groups ir, the LPGs as well as estnbllshing new LPGs.
It is the task of party organizations and mass organizations, particularly
the VDGB-BHCs and the political departments of the MTSs, to convince all farmers
in the GDR of the importance of fu1f1111ng the purchase and compulsory delivery
plena. The Kreis and Bezirk managements and the village party organizations
must concern themselves with the status of fulfillment of these plans. This is
necessary because there are some farmers who follow the instructions of RIAS
(Radio in theme American Sector), thereby deliberately disregarding the laws of
the GDR and their obligations as citizens.
The MTSs are r;ot only of importance ir, the economic sense but also have
mayor political tasks to f?Lfiii in connection with the democratic transforma-
tion of the village. A serious defect in the work of the MTSs is the turnover
among the leading MTS functionaries, including the political leaders, It is
recommended that political leaders and key functionaries of the M15s not be al-
lowed to leave their fobs without the consent ~f the secretariats of the Bezirk
managements; they should remain at one MTS for a minimum of 3 years. This is
necessary so that the political iesders can become thoroughly familiar with
their duties and responsibilities, and can gain the confidence of the Parmers.
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During the iy5j harvest season, political ~:ur:agements of various MTSs
started publishing village newspapers. It. is nccc?ssury that the nN,itntion and
agriculture departments of the Bezirk and F;reis runagements concert: themselves
regularly with the publication of village newspapers.
The realization of the new course and the increase in agricultural pro-
duction require a basic change In the work cP those govercment organs dealing
with agricultural problens. Superficial, lux administration in agriculture must
be stoppeb. It ie recommended that a Main Itepurtmert for Agt?icultural Proga-
ganda be :;et up 1 the h;inlstry for Agriculture and Forestry for the populariza-
tion and introuuction of sciertifSc k::owledEe and r. cow methods in Lhe field of
agriculture.
A serious defect in the political mass work is the fact that there has not
been enouEh emphnsl:: nn political tu:;kc in conncetion ra th the increase of agri-
cultural production. Thus the agricultural department of the SED, on all levels
from tY,e ZR dowm to the Kreise, has for the most part concerned itself' only
with the technical problems of agriculture, without in.luencing the political
muss work in the villag: This situatior. rust be rectified as soon as possible;
political enlighteruc?;nt ?~ork it the villages must be carried or. constantly and
must be cr. tended to xil villages of Lire various Kreise. It is the duty of the
party oreani::ations to hold periodic meetings and discussions with the working
farmers anti to secure their pnrticipetior, in party activities.
The activities oP the social rwss orgar.izatlons must be essentially im-
proved in order to develop political mass wort. in the village and to strengthen
the bond between the party and the agricultural worket?s. In this respect the
VDGB-~HG, us the democratic mass organizatior, of the working farmers, is of
particular importance. The VDGb-EfIGs in all villages of the GDR are called upon
for active cooperation in the demort?atization of the villages and the execution
of village plans, Another macs orf;anizatior., the FAT (Tree German Youth), fre-
quently di --associates itself from the .__,age youth anti does not conduct a
systematic recruitment crunpuign in the villages. The ourty and the FDJ must be
actively engaged in rcuucinf; the migration of the country youth to the cities.
The DFD (Get?mun Decnocrati+: Women's League) must devote much more attention to
the life of women ugrlcuitural workers, anti :nust see to it that they are actively
included ir, the sociouollLicul life o:' thc? village.
The preparations for the Fourth Party Congress u:a give rise to ei basic
chanl;e in ti;e wort; of the party org;nizatlons of the villages. SED membership
in the villages crust be in_rc?csed through the recruit!xnt of the most progres-
sive ngriculturaa wori:erc Pro::, b;TSs, 1,pGs, ar:c VEUs. :.11 party organisations
must realize that them c;~n be ro iu:proveme:a in thee p~i.iticai mass xorl: in the
vills;:e or increase !n ca?ric.ultural production without a basic impt?ovement of
the work of party orgari:utfor.: ir; the v111nges.(1)
Excerpts i~roa: t,+Licle by War.:;
In order to l:rprove political a;ltutfon work ir, ngrlculturul areas, the
political departments of the D:TSs inteziPR Cottbus, following the example of
Pezirk Potsdam, hove begw: ti:e publicatior. of tillage newspapers. As ar. impor-
tant medi+m: oi' agitation, thu ^'iluge newspaper has the task of winning over
the majority oi' the worlcir:~ far.,xrs to fife policies o: the SED and the govern-
ment. The political departr.~ent:: of the b;TSs hove realized that the village
newspaper is an important medium for p~liticul ?+ass work; 22 of the 30 M'ISs in
Bezirk Cottbus have already published village newspapers,
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It has been established that the village newspaper, wherever it exists,
if of interest to the working agricultural populace. In addition the village
newspaper assists in improving the over-all work of the MTSa and LPGs. For
example an article appeared in the village newspaper Der Scheinwerfer entitled
"Sponsorship Work in the LPC," It criticized several sponsorship enterprises
for poor sponsoring xork. The result ties that BW (Aailroad Workshop) Cottbus
responded immediately and contacted thr Lit,, which it was sporsorin
6?
The village newspapers do not handle political matters in abstract terms
but relate them directly to the problems to be solved in the MTSs or villages.
In this respect some of the village newspapers are superior to almost all plant
newspapers. The articles in village newspapers should strengthen confidence
in the MTSs. More tractor operators, farmers belonging to LR;a, and private
farmers should be given the opportunity to contribute to the newspapers. Kreis
managements must increase and improve their support and guidance with respect
to the format of the village newspapers, in order to make them more effective
and more interesting.(2)
1. Neues Deutschland, 27 Jan 54
2. Ibid., 28 Jan 54
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