ORGANIZATION OF THE LAND COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL FRONT AND ACTION PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL FRONT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R005600080003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2006
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 16, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/02/01 : CIA -RDP82-00457R005600080003-3
CENTRAL IN I LLLR LNUL I (iLI' :Y KtruKI NU,
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
rCNFIDENTIAL
25X1
COUNTRY Germany (Soviet Zone) DATE DISTR. 16 August 1950
SUBJECT Organization of the Land Committee NO. OF PAGES 4
25X1 of the National Front and Action
Program of the National Front
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
N FO.
CIIASSIFICATION SLC T/CONTROL h U.S. OFFICTILLS 01MY
T01S 000Ob R T COfBTAU 0 It P018O3T1010 ARR6CTII 0 T11I IIATIOIAL OERIIHU
or THE 0W1TIO STATES +Drnuu 7118 MEANING OF THE #001011000 ACT $D
0.0. C? 31 ACID 31- AZ AL3CtBpEA, iT8 TCA"BUISSIOII OR THE IEVOLATIORI
OP ITS CONTENTS IN AM KARRNE8 TO AN MMOTGOIi=EO PERSON 19 iPRO---
AUNI SD BY LAW. REPROGDCTIOII AR Tots FORM is pEwistTev.
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
25X1
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. _4X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25X1
1? On the basis of the names available at present the SED apparently
does not have a majority in the Land committees of the National
Front (NF), but furnishes the first chairmen in all the Laender
in the German Democratic Republic, except in Berlin and Branden-
burg. * Since, on the other hand, all SEA Land leaders are
members of the national council which is superior to the NF Land
committees, they will undoubtedly control developments in the
Laender from that body, especially since, as members of the
national council, they are definitely considered representatives
of the Laender? There is, moreover, a growing tendency in the
National Front as well as in the state administration to con-
centrate the machinery on the zonal level. It must also be re-
membered that all specific organizational work is actually done
by the respective secretaries who always are SED functionaries
and belong to the "Minor Secretariats" of the SL:o provincial
organization. The two chairmen of the NF Land committees act
chiefly as figureheads. For example, it can hardly be expected
that Professor Theodor brugsch4 in his capacity as first chairman
of the Berlin NF committee will be likely to do anything more
than sign resolutions. With all other members of this NF com-
mittee also heavily engaged in professional or other political
activities their duties are largely confined to formalities.
The situation in the district and local committees which carry
out the actual NF work is, of course, quite different. In these
bodies, however, SETS influence still prevails, particularly with
regard to control of activities such as the execution of local
supplementary plans.
$,ins of ~,~ l,~or1?, tees
Operational plans have been sent to the NF Land committees for
comment. The NF Land committee of Saxony decided on 13 February
to conduct a large-scale campaign between 15 March and 15 April
for the collection of non-ferrous metalso other campaigns are
concerned with the procurement of seed-potatoes (the so-called
Bosselmann program), agricultural amelioration, afforestation work
and the cultivation of waste areas. on. 28 February x950 the
Brandenburg Land committee asked 400 individuals, from all
parties and organizations, including the heads of all departments
d
i
d
v
sers
a
and sectiza_ of the-Land government and the experts an
~
SlAT NAVY _ NSRB DISTRIBUTION I]ocuml* - - - ----- -
Ak?Y AIR
A
Next Review Date: 2008
Director entrait ligQlc~to the I
.... ofA~arovs ~ ease 20106/02/01 : CIA-RDP8
This document is hereby regraded to
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with the
letter of 16 October 1978 from the
CLASSIFICATION SEC -T CONTROL
RETURN 1i 9
:URA
WN ID
TAT.
 UUN H. )1 N I IAL
Approved For R ase 2006/02/01 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005600080003-3
SE nT/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
25X1
of all pertinent corporations and institutions to attend an
education meeting at which the program for Brandenburg was
discussed. A conference of the Land committee of Saxony-Anhalt
was held on the same date, Adam V-Jolfram, the first chairman
at this meeting ordered the mobilization of the rural popula-
tion for mutual aid in springtime agricultural work and called
for a. campaign to eliminate "agents" and "saboteurs", Sub-
committees were organized to prepare operational programs for
the Kreis committees, The fact that this operational program
of the Land committee was signed not only by the leaders of the
Individual pa:'tio and organizations but by Minister President
Werner Bruscnxe (SED) for the ministers' council of the Land
government may be indicative of the position to be held by the
NF in the field of public lawn It appears obvious that the NF
committees are actually additional executive bodies of the
respective government This became still more apparent
in a meeting of the Berlin Land committee on y ivtarch at ,ath1ch
Hans Jendretzki (SED), Max Schneider (NDP). Adolf Deter (FDGB),
Burgomaster ..e .nnoia Schwarz (Wk), and Zanthoff (SED),
first secretary of the Land committee were the spokesmen,, Hans
Jendretzki pointed out that th^ operational program of the Berlin
Magistrat will be part of the activities planned ray, the NF.
3, Inasmuch as the Land committees have not yet been able to draw up
operational programs for all the Kreis and local committees of
the NF the work of these committees is still not uniform. The
following may demonstrate, however, the type of activity practiced
and how the new compulsory labor system is gradually being put
into operation.
a0 The committee of Kreis Brandenburg registered 41 plantsk.
the employees of which pledged to work extra shifts
without pay to further the construction of the Bran-
denburg rolling mill which was declared of first
priority in reconstruction, On two occasions
local Free German Youth units contributed additional
work on Sunday.
bo The committee of Kreis Groeditz in Saxony is planning
to procure a number of electric motors from private
enterprises for the steel plant located in that district.
c. The committee of Bezirk Bad Suelze in Mecklenburg col-
lected 35 tons of seed-potatoes under the Bosselmann
program. Ortmann, a protestant pastor was in charge
of this project,
d. The local committee of Teicha in Saxony-Anhalt re-
quired each farmer in that. town to mare an extra
delivery of seed-potatoes for the spring planting;
2'150 kg of potatoes were procured in this manner.
e, The Brandenburg Land committee ordered each Kreis
committee to furnish 30 workmen for a period of three
weeks to be employed in the construction of the Rothen-
see cellulose combine. The cost of these projects
is to be paid by workers of other plants who are re-
quired to work extra shifts.
f. The committee of K reis Rostock is planning to collect
DM 250,000 (East) for reconstruction purposes and
required workers to move more than 25,000 cubic meters
of soil on Sundays without pay.
SEC T. COiITROL/US OFyU IBC I(L S ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
1 -1
Approved For Release 2006/02/01 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005600080003-3
 - 1ET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Relea jq?6,0008
25X1
CONFIDENTIAL
g, The committee of Kreis Weimar constructed a water conduit
three km in length by drafting Weimar citizens to do the
construction work. For this project DY 209000 (Last) were
collected; the construction work was done exclusively r, 2
Sundays.
h. The local committee of ,truth-IIelersdorf in Thuringia has
assumed the responsibility for reconditioning the roads of
that community; 600 man hours and 40 hours of work by
horses will be required for this project,
i. The local committee of Leegebruch in Brandenburg is
planning to construct a railroad branch to Hennigsdorf.
The population of Osthavelland is to furnish construction
crewwrs.
k. The committee of Kreis Greifswald is draining Korter Lake,
1a The committee of Kreis Rudolstadt is collecting 300 tons
of scrap metal for the ''ax Steel Plant in Unterwellenborn.
m, The committee of Kreis Meissen is organizing two working
Sundays per month each with 3,000 "volunteers".
n. Through special propagandists who call on all private enter-
prises in trade and industry the committee of Kreis Leipzig
is attempting to apprentice juveniles.
o. The committee of Kreis Sehleitz is requiring "voluntary"
workers to reconstruct the Saalburg bridge,
p, The local committee of Gerechwitz in Saxony is utilizing a
local soft coal deposit to supply the fuel needed by that
town,,
+Dr~aniZatiOnal uht~~_..~Sa
4. It was expected that the program initiated by the NF committees
would not only present difficulties between the governmental
agencies and those of the Party but would also disquiet the
population, Adam Wolfram the first chairman of the Saxony-
.t nhalt N F9 recently declared that the NF committees have failed
to enlist the cooperation of that part of the population which
is of importance, namely the workers and farmers. Those who
engage in activities for the local NF committees are almost
exclusively members of rarties and organizations wwho, by their
party discipline, cannot t:vade the "voluntary" erploymentp although,
it is not openly admitted that the execution of these supplementary
plans involves forced labor the population is not deceived. The
methods by which the population is made to cooperate are interest-
ing. In cities the house and street functionaries register all
employment of the people they control in the rural areas that
task is normally performed by the administrative agencies.
Often when persons not connected with a party or organization
refuse to cooperate they are accused of sabotaging the recona
str?u.ction program; this scheme for recruiting workers is !known
as the "people's solidarity" system and has been adopted in a
number of localities. Functionaries are threatening to publish
the names of all persons guilty of this type of "sabotage", .4
common practice in small towns is to post, in a centrally located
place, a list on which all "volunteersaa are direc:ed to enter
their names0, A much more crude method was employed in Potsdam,
where special-type identity cards together with ration coupons
=ere issued to the residents. Those residents who failed to
do additional work were either fined ration coupons or denied
food ration cards altogether, Ih dome towns 9 such as Tv..agdeburg 9
additional work done is acknowledged by the NF committees by
SECRET-CONTROL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2006/02/01 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005600080003-3
 Approv
b
~l+ ,(),6/02/9 AA ,
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
25X1
stamping "peopleas solidarity'' cards which are issued to the
workers. All of the foregoing devices appear to be contri-
buting to the effectiveness of the compulsory labor system.
SECX} 1T-.CONTROL/I3'S OFF IC I i;LS ONLY
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2006/02/01 : CIA-RDP82-00457R005600080003-3