MEETING OF ZONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE CDU

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 23, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

25X1A 6W-05105/
'VELUM 21 ( tAS:-7';;.;G:1 ''7')i' GoNYTD???7.rtiAL
-. ? . Approved For Rillbalf*20011ff0311 CCIAiROP82-00457R0045410
INFORMAT1 - REPORT co.
(a/ I
i
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
Germany fRussian Zone) CONFIDENTI DATE DISTR. 23 MAR 50
Meeting of Zonal Executive A1110, OF PAGES 6
Committee of the CDU .
25X1 C
NO. OFENCLS.
(LISTED BUM
SUPPLEMENT TO25X1X
The statements made at th.::s h7 the various participants
are reproduced here. :In sore eetnil bezause the trend of the
re:larks roints ur the frank depondence on cues from the SED
for the formation of rart y rroc'pedincs also
reveal the extant of innet-arty bc'kering and distrust and
the utter futility of the. entire East CU..
. Otto Nuschke called the meeting to order and then. stated that
the guests of Land rertresentative collad remain present only
if the Land ce.legaUons would vouch for their reliability and
if each Terson would nrom-ise not ;Tivo the Western rress any
information about the ?ieeio . H hen described in detail
the. burial Dr Father hirscho whom .he held up as a_s:,111bol of the
neorle's faith in the CDU. Nseho then sketched the loreent
situation and demanded that his party go into the camp of the
"peace-lovers" and that there be an end to the rolicy of
wavering. The re ace fiN)nt ,uis led by the Soviet Union, which
.would have lustified 0oubts about the sincerity of CM rolidy
If the narty did not subscrbe unconditionally to the Leirzig
decisions. Nuschke chbractzed as -1::mortant o deand of
the DDR that the Germans fiff.hting N:ith the French Foreign
Leg.lon, surposedly about 2500 aurzter, desert to the.
"friends of peace" in Vietnam. He declared that the state-
.ment given out by the Policy Committee ef the CIT did not.
near. 8 1Le,41: course of action but sly had. been released aa,
a consequence of the Leirz,ig decisions, since doubts cxiste
abo'ut the sincertty of the desi're of the rarty., P. stated
that he had spoken out plainly at the bloc mootin 7 and that
he had told President Plek thst ha -7as obliged to draw th.,9
line at nresent Methods: Nusch77e statod? that he discussed
econvoic matters dun ng his say .3of_a, The Bulgars told
him that they need Oerr:an a7 U rrofesiand eneneers.
Nuschke then attacked the ol'17Th because it was mak-
ing 3i1Ale effort toTards regainin.:1 [otional. unity. Develop-
ments in the East must be mote cloely obServed, and German;
must learn to think in terms of contin..ento, It was the goal
of te DDR to do away with food reloning exceTt for meat and
STATE
ARMY
This document is he.eby reglated to
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance w:th the
letter of 16 October 1978 from the
Director of central IntellIoence to the
Archivist of the United States.
Next Arirdittl MI Release 2
. Approved For Release 2001/03/1 CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
CO DENTIAL 25X1A
CENTRA INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
s> 2
fats after the next harvest. in the DDR this would be accom-
pliched indearendortly, herees in the Federal nentlblic it had
been possibli only through milaione of marks in loans. He
declnred that the USSR wouid !lake no further demands for old
locomotives es reparaticn eayments, which was -other sign
of Seviet ceoreretion. He discussed the incident ir OrantenburE
occaaioned by the birthday celebration for Telegate Pechert.
when a groap of vorkcsees occupied the hall two hours before
the cearemenies began, he addressed nem, asking to know how
they could reconcile absenteeiem ard waste of greoline with
the fulfMment of the economic riri. It vans the duty of the
CD 'i to find the basis for Its exsteace in the constitution,
whch gueranteed the rights of chure'aes. He would see to it
that theee WPS no infringement of taese rights. Since the
dissolution of the council of eldels T!aS uncoestitutienal, he
would rrotest. The western press had published Cardinal .
Preyeine'a letter without the letter's knowledge. Nuschke
stated that he would -lake an effort to met the desires of
the chuTch and hed rassed the letter to the responsible
authorities for ection. The Christsas services in Sachsen-
hausen end Frolor, Grliber's statemente were largely to thank
or thP final disbanding of the intsrnment camps. reschke
declared that ha supported a sincerz bide rolicy, e]though
he admitted that philosonhicaldiffeeences existed between the
parties. The veatchword coming from the bloc meeting was
unconditional coorerntion. The CDU had the historical misson
ef preserving the reace for the naten and fighting for
aatienal
2. Kmilh Fe4cherl Halle, responded since he stated that he felt
hieself addresed by Truschke"s remeo1s. His statements in
Potsdne hod been checled over bafor delivery by the Landes-
verband (party orrenizaticn 1-17. Lnnd level), hence he could see
no reaacn for rereoach on that acor!, fleuotations had been
cited opt of context. The :latter cd the speech had been dis-
cussel in a fourahour bloc session in Halle and it was decided
in the end to leave final decisicn en the matter to the CDU
exeel 'hive committee of the Land (Ialdesvorstand). The attack
whieh cru reenuty Fuchs !lade against him should not be regerded
as relevant since it did not come fscm the SED but from an
ex-party man who hadlincideetallyibLcome involved in a graft
scandal. He stated that he regrettad the misunderstanding
caused by his remarks at Potsdam, but that no one could claim
that he was hypocritical. FP cited detaila of his political
activities, and stated the belial ti at the way in which the
SED wee no going fcrward was not the way in which to build
up the Naticnel Front. Cooperation can only exist when there
is tolerance. The Policy of th eetern CDU was wrong, but
In fighting this polfcy one sholel rot go rrong oneself. His
attitude towards the USSR had alrayc been roeitive, and in
Western Germany he had never failed to support public
discussion of th's attitude.
3. Rev. lelmuth Mehnert, Lobau, called for close cooperation
with the SEP in the bloc. Histerv caseat be turned tack.
Al] mtst be ready for sincere ccopezetion so that no recrim-
inatien.s can be made. All efforts must he bent towards
establishing a sincere friendshir wits the USSR.
4. August Each of weimar spoke for the Thuringian Landesverband
In stating that the events of the rest week could have been
avoided if the rarty leaders on the sentral committee had
straightaned matters out on their (ma at an earlier date.
He came out against the policy committee in its present form,
saying that it offered no guarantee for better work in the
CO 'T
Approved For Rele
rPTIAL
2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
CONF 25X1A
CENTRa INTELLIGeNCE AGENCY
- 3 -
future. The decisions of ere weel- Pest had not b,en sati -
factory. A sraee should br ealled a srade, and the leaders
must have the ceurege to clear the atmosphere. Nuschke must
say more than has heen the case in the nest.
Frnnz Reczleeh, rerresentative of the workers in the Saxony-
Anhalt cru, ceid that the organizetion of rarty grours within
factories was. going feeward.
6. Otto Freitag of Eresden objected to Bach's statements and
called for niain speaking. One should naturally have the
courage to learn from this exrerience and only a fool would
rant to do away with the reforms, but he refused to have a
nart in Political deals and asked that Hickmann 1-P given the
orrortunity to find the right road. Even the sr') thought
that reople who were nolitical fence-sitters were suitable
material for the National Fsont. The same rule shouSd errly
to the CDU. Whoever cannot abide by the decisions of the
policy committee should go. The friendly handshake exchanged
between Nuschke and Hickmann at Blro Yirsch's funeral had
been politicelly symbolicel for many. The centrel committee
must MPIrA the rarty line clear war and reace are in the
balance. The policy of neutrelity must be opposed. The
CDU stands on the Fide of the forces of reece. Freitag
attested to his belief in socialism. He earned that it
must be expected that rerhaes other party leaders would
fall.
7. Arnold Gohr, chairman of the Berlin Lendesvorstand,declared
that he had seen the present deelorments coming Fince the
CDU had strayed from its program ae laid down in Jule 1945.
The criais Kaiser had created bed never been disPelled with
radical enough action. He asked that ell 1ocn1 groups study
the theses of the Perlin Landesrerbend as well as the declnra-
tion of the policy committee. welther Rticker's article which
anreared in the Thuringian tress should also be given
attention.
8. Karl Grobbel, chairman of the Brandenburg Landesverband,
spoke of the difficult position of h's creanization. It
was excertionelly difficult to mEke hia membership accept
the Cder-Neisse line, and far this reaaon he relaomed the
declaration of the policy commfttee rhe exrlanation for
cooreration between the CSU and the CDJ which ..Tacab raiser
gave on the radio had been a bi,rm for his organization.
He naked that nrogressives be g[von more nrominence and
mentioned in this connection the name of Landrat Gerlich
of Ost-Priegnitz. Grobbel stated that he was exerting an
effort to make his organization rroeressive and he would
like everyone to be aware of thee fact. Much trouble was
caused by PIAS pronaganda which called for peorle to refuse
to do what the SEP wanted. There is the need for much
enlightenment to prevent friends of the rarty from becoming
tools of fcreign interests.
Schmidt, Tend secretary from weimar, called for nlain talk.
The blame for rhat had haptened should be placed on the CDU
rather than the SED since the CDU narty line had failed to
influence every rnrty member. Ever since Erfurt, a gen has
existed between the spokesmen of the tarty and the rank and
file. The shake-un necessery to the rarty will require
reorientation affecting the loeest ranks of the party. The
infection in the party must be scotched. All mersbers must
be brought around to the viewpoint rerresented by the
Leipzig decisions.
CCr
Approved For Release 2001/0 17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : C -RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
CON' DENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
- 4 -
25X1A
10. Linister Steid'.e reprcached the party for not having, analysed
iTao Teiezig denisions rronerly. The daily press must be used
more and more for enlightenment. It happened too often that
the economy wa? be rayed as, for examrle, by the responsible
parties on the 'elend of Mems. He asked for better personnel
FO that the --arty's nroeram can he carried out. It had been
nnparent that some earty speakers had not alrnys been sure
of themselves. The nrees had recently nublished four adver-
tisements fros -estern firms. Party discipline nust become
more strict, end the wrong tone should be avoided in committee
discussions, as, for example, in debating the workers pro-
tective acts. Party leaders must find the courage to command.
Steidle exreersed astonishment that Grobbel had 'brought up
the Oder-Nisse line again. Such people should have asked
for the floor in Leinzig. (Shorts: It wasn't permitted1)
Adenatler's attitude was to be condemned. A definitive stand
must be tFAcan for Soviet-German friendship. It was too bad
that the T7eue 7ait had missed the opportunity to give immedi-
ate answer to an article in the Tellua which had branded
Stalin a war ciiminal. Ste'die claimed that he had continual
difficulties aa minister because the Democratic "'omen's Union
asserted that CDU women did not coonerate. The world is
verging on wee, and therefore the struggle for neace must.
be all the more vigorous.
11. Georg Dertinger stated that the exchange of views had cleared
the atmosphere, but more attention must be given to a clarifi-
cation of the -arty's decisions and to the case cf Hickmannv
Schwob, "'itto and others. To get and keep the right sort of
nconle in the party was the nroblem of the future. Emphasis
on the elections was misguided. Although the rest is increas-
ing its war uronaganda, the party had failed to sift out its
leaders until it was too late. Side-stepping of the issues
could no lonrer be excused. The responsibility for inner-
rarty corrunion lies with Jakob "Kaiser, who particularly in
the recent past has succeeded in causing confusion among the
rank and file. ruschke remains too reserved in his anproach.
Since the rroper stens were not taken in time, the pressure
of the mob had recently been necessary to bring action. The
Hickmann incident had certainly not been engineered with any
ulterior motives but had been dramatized because of the world
situation. The Soviet Control Commission could not be blamed
for not trusting the cm. It is the task of the aarty, now
at the last moment, to sten in and act in a Christian
remocratic way. The Christian -est had to million unemployed
pornogranhic litera-ture,and a foreign legion. All must admit
that the East German "savages" are better Christians. The
will of the working class exerted pressure in the case of
Hickmnnn. A weeding out of the membership of the Landes-
verbgnde.should bring a much more vigorous stand on Issues.
12. Fried of Berlin called for a clearer statement of mlicy.
There should be no real surnrise at the current predicament
of the rarty since the rarty's stand against Adenauer and
Kaiser had up to ti-is time not been clear enough. Since
1919 Adenauer's policy had been senaratism. Kaiser's policy
of last-ditch defense could only have dangerous consequences.
13. "'either Rticker of Erfurt called attention to the fact that
the Thuringian Landesverband could not agree to any attempts
to justify Hickmann's choice of nersonnel. Thuringia refused
to accent his actions as veil as his nolitical ?Pinions. The
SFD had a -erfect right to intervene. Dertinger tiaintnins
that Hickmann might be retained; this was vrong. He may
esteem him personally, tut he muet figh him politically.
Freitag and Jentach were involved in intrigues which would
COrFIrF'IIATiCCrTROL
Approved For Release 2001/0 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : A-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
CONF' 'MAL 25X1A
CENTRAL ELLIGENCE AGENCY
- 5 -
.?et the party into sireilear difficulties in another four
reeks. -het Freitng had said today could not be taken
reriously.
14. Peinhold Lobedanz likewise called for a clearly defined
menbershir?rolicy nne expressed the opinion that Titte
could not be retained much longer.
15. DerUnger asked for the floor and called for a clarifi-
catior of Rtcker's remarks. He wished to know if they
should be construed as a statement of lack of confidence
in zonn1 leadershir.
16. Flicker deolared that the remarks were not meant this way.
17. Frei; SchMfee of Berlin called for a well-defined stand on
mass organizations and the Demoeratic 'omen's Union,
18. wilbelm Pcher welcomed Fascher'e statements and exnressed
the hore that "ne would take the same stand in public. He
demanded that the etecltive comelittees of the Under purge
themselves at their eext elections. The decision must be
made to change the c:laracter of the nartv's membership
even if it mennt that -any would drop out in the future.
The outside influence on party affaire was juatified.
The cru should se the point cf whet hae hnrpened. Those
who don't belong in the party should get out. Thoever
doesn't nay his dues rest be regarded as nolitically
unrellat:le. Those wile fnil to !lay (lees must be expelled.
It would be better to have 221CTO than 220,000 members if
those who remain are wilted by common coeviction. The gar
hetween leaderehir an members must be closed. Rohner had
been a d'sappointment end the SIT war not to blame if it
showed itself mistrustful. He demanded thtt every office-
holder in the rarty br submitted to scrutiny. The func-
tionaries whe do not moot requirements should be expeDled
from the narty. There are Plenty of progressives in the
cpu, but they must have more to Fay for themselves.
19. Freitng of Saxony objected to Rtcker's remarks in which he
ras charged with political intrigue. FreiLag sttted that,
like Hickmann, he must raise the queetion of whether he had
the Party's confidence.
20. Rtcker exrressed the opinion that Freitag and Jentsch should
be given the same treatment as Yickmann.
21. Nuschke stated that Freitag's case wn- a matter for clarifi-
cation by the nolicy committee. "ith regare to Rohner, he
said that the man waa one cf the foueders of the cru. He
rrgrrtted Rohner's decision to eve the party. He then
read a letter from Rohner in which the latter stated that
he could not be expected to stay in the Party since they
spat at his wife in Orenienberg, strnck down his daughter,
and excluded his son from the state examinations. Nuschke
expreeeed the bore that the differences arising from the
Hickmann ceser ceuld be ironed cut. Fickmann could not have
remained in the rarty since Fleck had said that it was a
Political necessity for him to disnrpear from the political
scene. Nuschke insisted that the board of examination for
Hickmann's cnse was necessary since It is impositle to
pass jedgment simply on the basis of a remark. Lecently
a high functionary of the Thtringian Landesverbnnd had
exceeded hie leave by eight days and the Landesverband had
CC-F 17-Tik
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8
CONFI }TIAL
CENTRAL IN IGE113E AGENCY
- 6 -
25X1A
nsked l'7uschke t:) expel him.' Cn this occasion Nuschke hnd
also said that a check, must first be made and consequently
did not put through the order for expilision. The man in
question ':a ck?r, (ors of laughter.)
22. Rilcker declaed that he would not recognize the policy
committee until Ste!die apd Genter-Gilmans were elected
to
230 Fn:111 Schgfer of Berlin complained that her Tution on"mass
6rgan1zations had not come .up for consideration.
2A. Nuschke maintaine3 that this motion had not been submitted
in wrfting, but:ht the policy committee weuld nevertheless
concern Itself wIth the matter.
5.Tehnert ob:ieoted that an artificial crisis had been created
In tre CDU ns P result of the various Landesverbdnde exrress-
ing loci': of confidence in ench other.
26, A public?statent was then read and appro-,;ed, and the case
of Freitag waF turned over to the rolicy coAmittee for
decision.
25X1X
Comme:It: As n result of tleis meeting members of
the cru cen-:rnl committee have been left with a very poor
imnression ef.thoIr try leaders on Land level. It was
apparent thAt the Land chairmen who attended the meeting
indulge in the same form of se-if-criticiim an: selfdebasement essociated Tith the SED and Communist parties.
This all-zone Meeting, Particularly the last PaTt of it,
had the flavor of a srnall-time Communist gathol-ing at which
the porticirants %ify each other with personal insults
rvents in te.- zone at present haepenng so quickly
that there were ILITteirants. present, such as Rt lard of
Leipzig, vto, W1tflrt.1 tneir xnowlecaeljdaC 000fl exOt2L1ed
from the rarty on t'le previous Orly,
CC7FI
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004500240002-8