STRENGTH, TRAINING AND MORALE OF THE EAST BERLIN POLICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R006400640011-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 5, 2003
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: December 23, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved Fo?iarifi6 kiligidiRiN(EIPAREhia-00457R06105641J611 3
UMULLON1 12 4NFORMATIION REEPaix?T CD NO.
Germany (Russian Zone)
COUNTRY
:SUBJECT
PLACE
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INFO.
CONFIDEN1161 DATE DISTR.
StrTngth, Training and :orale
'cif the East Berlin Police
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121
f!f:)(!ti,c, 50
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCUI
(USTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFOSMA"tIOSI4FCTU rar IVITIOTIAL DISPENSE
OPToe U4IT2D STATES warm /Ha maaptaiut :PI aSPIOVACE ACV aft
0. C.. VI AND 02. AS AMENDED. ITS ITIASSIAISCIO.I CSI TOE NETELATTOO
OF ITS CINITENTS IN ANY DIMMED TO AN INSAUTRONITED VEMOti IS DE.O.
RUDITED IT LAW. NEPEODIICTION TINS FOULS IS
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
. The Berlin East Sector pol
approximately 12,000. The
siderably less since the
present wave of dismissals
of personnel has been deal
various administrative fie
T/O for 1951 thus provides
police,
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ice has a% present a TT) strength of
actual strength, however, is con-
number of vacancies caused by the
amounts to about 2,500. This shortage
t with practically by transferring
Ids to the Magistrat. The ne- police
for approximately 10,000 Fas 1?erlin
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?
2, The goal of the police is to form from.these 101000 men and worm&
an apparatus, similar to a military force, which will be ready
for action at a;ly given mowent. For this purpose it is necessary:*
that eh male falf1T.er, and at present every female member, of the
Berlin pollo, be
A. trained that he can be committed individually or in a group
in ordinary police action or militarily, and
B. politically and ideologically zo reliable that he is ready to
be committed in any operation, even though it be against other
Germans.
3. fo31c,.and Militarlilnain4ng;
A. Every new police candidate,excent special technicians and
secretrrial help, must spend the first twelve wee4:s of his police
career in the training battalion (Lehrbataillon) in Berlin-Openick.
Seelenbinderstrc Here the candidate receives basic military ana
politIcal Lvaloieg for service in the UntEormed Constabu3ary
(Schutzpolizei). The military instruction corresponds to the for-
mer individual and squad training glven recruits in the German
Army, without, howe7er instruction in the use of the machine gun.
7eapons training is confined to theory an practice with the
carbine and pistol 908, Commands and orders are the same as the
former military, except that instead of the command for extended
order drill, the order to form cordons for the employment of po!ie
units in controlling large assemblies and public? demonstrations,
Is =ca. The tr2ining is given in accordance with standard
Prussian drill methods, albeit withont the severity and pomp which
CLASSIFICATION
CONFIDENTia
This document is hereby regraded
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with he
letter of 16 Octcber 1978 from
Director of Qe.ctral_Jntelligence to ti]e
rwp*Ag??.903/08/1
ArMREP6f9A%
Next Review Date: 2008
Class.
1: CIA-R0P82-0 *311k006
Bat.: 3J 11LJ9z__. By:
'
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characterized the Prussian system. The police students them-
selves live in barracks.
B. After the twelve weeks of basic training, the candidate is
transferred to the Uniformed Constabulary or the Criminal Police.
Advanced training is given later at the Volkspolizei school at
Berlin-OberschBneweidel where technical police instruction and
military training on the platoon level are offered. At this
school, too, the students are quartered in barracks for the dura-
tion of the twelve-eek advanced courses.
C. In addition to the Oberschemeweide instruction, there is a
epecial course for members of the Criminal Police at the police
school in Arnewalde, Poland. This training is largely technical
'and political, and each employee of the Criminal Pollee is sup-
posed to attend the cchooli
e. e
D, Formerly,individual officers of the Berlin police were sent t th
advanced police school at Kochstedt to take part in the platoon
leader training given there. Since 1 October 1950, all officers
to the rank of VP Meister of the Berlin police must take part in
a fourteenaday course, four hours per day, at the Oberschbneweide
school. This inetruction includes the following:
1). Squad and platoon exercises, with each student -taking his
turn as commander of the unit. (2 hours).
2). Guard detail in theory and mounting the guard. (1 hour).
3). Weapons instruction,. to include pistols of all types. 1 hanr)
This course will
cannot be taken
present, actual
result that few
of weapons.
last approximately six months, since all officers
from their normal duties at one time. Up to the
firing practice has been badly neglected, with the
policemen can be considered proficiept in the use
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In addition to these courses, constant instruction of all police
employees is currently "Doing giiren within the framework of the so-
called progrrm of mass education (Broitonschulun7). This includes:
1). Technical training - 2 hours per week
2), Political training - 2 hours per week
3). Sport or military drill - 2 hours per week, alternately
4). Weapons instruction - 1 hour per week
Until recently, participation by po)nice emoloyees in sports, mili-
tary drill, and weapons training was so lax and spiritless fruit in-
tensive control had to be instituted. Instructors for the mass
training are chosen from among the participants, there being no
permanent teachers. The teaching aids and material are prepared
by the police school and Abteilung Palit/Kultur, Referat Seholueg
und Erziehung, the latter receiving its material from Hauptabteilung
P/K Hauptverwaltung flir Deutsche Volkspoliaei
It is the task of politieal train-1n r: to influence every police-
man to such an extent that he is ideologically convinced of the
unconditional necessity of eommitting his life, weapcn in hand,
for the executive pc:7er to which he is eubordinate. Embellished
ideologically, this means that the policeman must be ready te
serve the socialis', philosophy and the progressive sector of humanity
against the capitalistic, imperialistic Western 'owers, including
West German and West Berlin organs of government.. To this wad
nearly every day, in one form or another, political propaganda is
spread among the police members, be it through formal instruction,
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resolutinns passed in ass mblies with regard to events of the day,
official conferences, holidays, parades, special pledges, collee- 25X1
tion of money, voluntary Sunday work in the VEBes, or collabora-
tion in making up the wall newspapers. More important than any of
these, however, is the effort to induce at police members to join
the SED.* In addition, membership in one of the mass organiza-
tions (DJ, DFB, or Society for German-Soviet Friendship) ie
strongly orged. The more important pollee positions from Referat
Leiter on may be held only by SED members, while all Abteilungs-
leiter must of necessity be politically very active, i.e, Party
activists, in order to retain their positions.
Only with Party membership does the total ideological indoctrina-
tion begin. Since the Berlin Volksnolizei now is forming an indi-
vidual,centrally directed Party organization, Party work is as
strictly regulated and controlled as is the general police disci-
pline Party and police discipline are thereby coordinated to
such an extent that the police executives, through a Party order,
can force an employee who wishes to resign from the police to re-
main in his position. In like manner, unexcused absences from
s!op group assemblies (regular meetings or instruction evenings)
are considered offences against the police duty obligation, since
"Party work is duty in the Volkspolizei", because "only the combina-
tion of political consciousness and technical ability can enable
the policeman to perform his duty".
The newly ordained SED "year of learning" will create within the
Berlin Volkspolieei new possibilities for further political orienta-
tion, since non-SED employees are being urged to participate.
That means that police members are being exposed to Communist in-
struction for An additional two to three hours every fourteen days.
yjmaketa
In spite of the intensive political indoctrination to which the
police are subjectedsand in spite of the increasing military and
physical training, the Berlin Volkspolizell taken as a whole, does
not represent a very potent fiehting force for trio rollowing
reasons:
A . The attitude of the Berliner and the Berlin atmosphere are not
conducive to strict adherence by police members to the restrictions
laid down by the police executives. The regulation forbidding
Volkspolizei from having contact with the people of West Berlin is
often violated. The Party has also ordered its members to refrain
from listening to any Western radio broadcasts. Nevertheless, many
of the higher police officials hear only RIAS and have admitted as
much in conversations with other officers.
B. Diss tisfaction within the ranks of the Berlin Volkspolizei is
also furthered by the recent policy of dismissing all policemen
who have been POVe of the Western Powers. This basic mood of
resentment is heightened by the fact that in some instances of dis-
issal the reason given for the action stressed that the employee
was being released because he had a cousin or other relative resid-
ing in fflestern Germany or in We Berlin, hile, in reality, he
may have been dropped because of inability to handle his duties.
The feeling of economic insecurity is thus widespread because the
individual employee can never be sure upon his arrival at work in
the morning whether he still has a job or is already dismissed.
The added fact that the dismissals are currently being made with
no regard to the leeal notification of release, which calls for .
thirty days notice, has contributed to a eeneral feeling of indiffer-
ence and apathy.
frequent
Abteilung, from one Ref rat to another, is also a cause for dis-
satisfaction
The Volkspolizei personnel po_li.:771:y,
transfers of employees from one Abteilung to another or, within an
satisfaction within the police. Many police mamb
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resentment when, barely .ramiliar with the work of their section,
they are arbitrarily transferred to another field without due re-
gard for their technical ability.
D. Insecurity is also felt as a result of he completely one-sided
relationship between the police preuldent, ho enjoys all the pre-
rogatives of his position, and the employe who, duty-bound for
three years, has ro legal rights. In addi On, there is no fixed '
settlement concervipe compensation or insurance for loss of work
caused by accident. ffered in Vile of duty In such cases, the
policeman feelsrAi6self dependent on the mercy of the higher xecet-
tives, an attsitede which again leads to a feeling of economic in
security
E. Finally, there exists within the 3erlin Velkspolizei con-
siderable resentment directed aiainst the Polit/Kultur Abteilung
in connecton with the chances or promotion. Members of other
sections regard P/K employees al overzealous party workers who, al-
though tay hare little technic-el ability, are promoted the fastest
to offirear rank. For these ree50ns, police morale, when
measured against a willingness iep be committed in any action, is
not h4gh This also applies to 85 per cent of the SED members within
the Ferlin Volkspolizei, who, in the truest sense of the word, are
only fellow travelers and have joined the Party to protect their
poristions and to be able to quelify for the higher-salaried officesU
Th!.s means that in the event of any serious large-scale action in
Felin, the Soviet Sector police organization would in all probability,
4S of the present, disintegrate as an efficient fighting force. The
Sigher officials have also paetially recognized this; they will not
depart from their stated prineiples and convietions, but they are
attempting to better Morale Iv choosing younger more fanatic FDJ
aryl SED members for police pesitions. In addition, all office work
is suppoeed gradually to be turned over to women employees, thereby
freeing male policemen for rgular duties.
25X1 4-.:=7:lpommeqt: Although O per cent of the East Berlin police
are Party members, complete nambership will probably not be attained
untll pressure is brought te bear on non-members.
? CONFIDENT
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