STATUS OF SLAVIC LINGUISTICS AT EAST GERMAN UNIVERSITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 11, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 9, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

~()U~lTRY
'~tf &3itiGt" ~~""
~'LACir . _
~~CQJI REG
pNFO,
,_ , < .
Tt~t1f OuCY~BNS 40NTAIH! tNfORtlN10N AFFECT1116 Tft3 NATIONAL DCFLt136
J~ iNCYNTfII 9TA7Y. dlTMlll TXl_ YIAl1~M6 OP TiTLB /8. SQCYIONE 7f~
Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
CI..ASSIf1CAT1Oi~
East Gerriaa~
t~G~iitELLiGiwIVCE AGENCY
Stal~lte of $]~lic Lin{!ui8tias at
ra3t (:errsan Un~.ver:-i;,ioS
~?~'forts are
The atuc
s tudlSh,'~
Yea'" t .
i
been"~t~
urge~i~t,1,
and melt
Slavic
thest8~
teachi i'~
its scientifid
s t ud~}.e s in_, t
,, , ~. - -
It i
East"8~7
and cultu
oota"ed.`"~o~~~o
to and
Slavic I.a~gua
14iarii:~f3~S x h$n~oG~sr
eu-ra.tteri at t"h a insti'tu;;e
Slavic la.nrruages wY:ich i~
LieRahr is to tie preparec~.~_,,a
CIASSiFiCATiON ~crL.
a great shortage of
REPORT
CD
DATE"'DI~. February 1;55
25X1
IJO.
SU
REPORT N0.
TNiS IS UNEVAUJATED tNFOF2MATI0N
teachers of Slavic, 1ang~~ages .
rofe~sors from ;:eat vermany.
V!!r
h'~
far inferior to the level of the Slavi.:?
inferior pos~t,_t~on of Slav~c_ philolo~i~ts
~.
~~d~3f-;
who went f x~om East Germany
rinci.ple. :[t i~+ i,larned
__. ~~t i -~~ ,
'cure .
e,,gubl}}'cation of a erlodical for
i~~3te'd~b~~~P'~~crs Bie3.efeldt and
Tha kind of reception ;~901~ by the uDR aut;hoz,es ~to a i".'esters,
professor for Slavic lari,~ages who accepts a thing pn4ation a: a
GDR university is illus~tiil b,y the case cf i~~Rllustrian philologist.
The Austrian prafesso~~, upon his arrival ~.t an ~~aat Berlin aerodrome,
ryas welcomed by a repreaentat.-ive of the G;iR ~r;a.r.istry of IIniversities.
He ~7aQ a.e~o?maodnted in one oi' the beat ho*els of the city and was
tt?ea tedf as a guest: of the vcvernment . The Austrian prof esec-r vi:.zced
Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
 Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
SCit.::T~COi~ t'RO.L - i1. S . 01~'r'I~
o~~e ~. hi ~, co ~ leagues wiio live$ on the outskiz'ts of the city.
Tie t1u3.r:~.an sc7.entist was deeply i~aprESSed by the living standard
o,' the _:A?;t :3erifn prafessor of Slavic lan~*ua.~,?es. 1':~e F3erlin
professor had been owven a lar;;e vii3a situated in a f:ne park
a.ied ha~'. a ueluxe car at his disposal. ~Fi~ tWO daughters told ti:e
r ~ r y !i t' 1! I ~ 1.n.~ F" r~
. ~~ :.:,d$G~ iZ?o, essvr -h~_. the,, r t.a....a.rAC'ru life in .VaBt. lSNi'l~,n
to Life i:i ;?e3t ~3ersir~. ~ri thit fo'ilo~xin; morning, the A trian
professor. '~ .tya,Col~p t first lectt!`ie~~by ?a Fii~ 'i'~ig
Tee9en~tatx've~ ,liter nis lecture, a banquet w;,s
~.,i:ven i~r. ~xs honor. sz~idure sas repeated 3u~,}n,; ~,be three
days of his""sta~?in Ea''~t'"Bei-liai. d passenger car was also placed
at t:ze . ~ i sposa2 ,off' x~~~t~~ prof~or. On a31 oo~iarl~ons, she
nustriar L~hilolagist was honored aad treated with the ?realest
cokrves, and publicity. Fie was celebrated ae a philologist of
ir,terna-ional standiiiU. :after si.ajt~n:~ in 3erlin for three days,
r,he :'sus r~.an prafessor was accrmpariied by a representative of
t:~e ~.in~ stry to the Universit3~ city where he had accepted a chair.
'It; rl3s '. 2lcomed there with the. ore~.t@st honors b;r ~tha Dean of
4_;e Unix ersity, his ueruty~ and also .the t~ur~;or-aster of the- city;
w1.o t;ra'sed the pxofessp~~,'s Couray~in c,~i~ L~r ~,~~{ :~tst~'.
1'he t>ro.'essor ~ras_ pr~mi,~ed . ev~ryr~ ~.~1.~, h#4~p= artd~ tht~ fu~'#'ilr.Nent .
a.? ~. , is wishes . `Plze Austrian ~p~a~at~r= ~r~lr ,~.ven a ~-cl~l~lr ; ~.
~.ye,,~ salary of ?OJC eastmar~Ca,.ixrition~#o~apecial-
::%icl: `~~e will receive' ~a dis'g~~p~~f,;;wws ina;i~n+t~;.h `1~-eail~o4d. 4
jaurne,.s to and frog tserl,~n.,,,werQ m~cTethin, ressr' fi~itr
5r;CK~;T,CJ:`ri~OL - J,,. Or'r'IGl~ii,a OP,LY
Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
 Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
CLASSIFICATION
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLFGENGE ItCENCY REPORT
INFO~MAT~~N #~~PC~~T CD NO.
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
East Germany
Status of Slavic Linguistics at
East German Universities
TN If DOCYM[NT CONTAIMf INFORMATION AFF[CTIN! TN[ NATIONAL DRriNfR
OF TNl YNIT{D lTATft. NITNIN TN[ R[ANIN! OF TIT{,[ If, KCTNNIf T!!
AN! 7f1, OF TN[ Y. [. COD[. A! AM[NltO. ITf TRANfNIffION ~ R[YLt.?
ATION OF ITf CORT{NT[ TO ON NtCgrT NT AN YNAYTMORI=[D F{R[OII
1! -RONUIT[D N ut Tx[ R{FRODMCTION OF Tx if FORM I! /RDIII{iT{D.
DATE DISTR. 9 February 1955
N0. OF PAGES
N0.OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOYID
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N0.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFOR;MAT~tNt
1. GDR universities have a great shortage of teachers of Slavic la.n~,-aages.
Efforts are being made to obtain suitable professors from WestnGermany.
The study of Slavic languages at GDR universities is free and the
students are given a special bonus of from 200 to 500 eastmarks per
year to pay for their books. Examinations in Slavic languages have
been made rather easy because students of Slavic languages are so
urgently needed. Institutes of Slavic languages are well equipped
and meet all requirements for successful scientif is work.
2. Slavic philologists in the East look down with some contempt upon
the status of Slavic philology in the West. They believe that tree
teaching of Slavic languages is neglected in the West and that
its scientific standing is far inferior to the level of the Slavic
studies in the East. This inferior position of Slavic philologists
ir, the '~i~est is attributed to political bias.
to move the "Slawistische Zentralinstitut" (Central Institute for?
Slavic Languages from Greifswald to East Berlin in the near future.
hTanuals and handbooks for the study of Slavic languages are to be
written at this institute. The publication of a periodical for
Slavic languages which is to be edited by Professors Bielefeldt a.nd
Liewehr is to be prepared.
to West Germany will not be recalled on principle. It is
obtained. Professors of Slavic la
candidates for these chairs becau
and culture. it will be difficult.,; f
It is intended to establish eight chairs for Slavic languages in
East Berlin and four in Greifswald, including one for Czech language
The kind of reception given by the GDR authorities to a Western
professor for Slavic languages who accepts a teaching position at a
GDR university is illustrated by the cast of an Austrian philologist.
The Austrian professor, upon his arrival at an Eas~._$p ..,.aerodrome,
H
DtSTR`I
Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
 Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6
SECRET~CON'PR01 - U.S. OFb~ICIALS ONLY
one of his colleagues who lives on the outskirts of the city.
The Austrian scientist was deeply impressed by the living standard
of the East Berlin professor of Slavic langu~.ges. The Berlin
professor had been given a large villa situated in a fine park
anal had. a deluxe-car at his disposal. Hid two daughters told the
Viennese professor that they far preferred life in East Berlin
to life in West Berlin. On the following morning, the Austrian
professor was accompanied to his first lecture by a high-ranking
representative of the Ministry. After his lecture, a banquet was
gYVen'in his honor. This procedure was repeated during the three
days of his stay in East Berlin. A passenger car was also placed
at the disposal of the Austrian professor. On all occasions, the
Austrian philologist was honored and treated with the greatest
courtesy and publicity. He was celebrated as a p~iilologist of
international standing. Af
the Austrian professor wa
the i~iinistry to the Unive
He was welcomed there wit
staying in Berlin for three days,
tc~e University, his deputy and also
by a representative of
re he had accepted a chair.
honors by the Dean of
e burgomaster of the city,
wl"~c praised the professor's courage in coming to the "dreaded East".
The professor was promised every possible help and the fulfilment
of all his wishes. The Austrian professor was given a monthly
basic salary of 3,000 eastmarks in addition to special bonuses
wrich he will receive as director of his institute. The railroad
journeys to and from Berlin were made in reserved first-elass~
compartments.
SECRET~C~N~PR~l, - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2008/07/11 :CIA-RDP80-00810A005800820005-6