RESISTANCE ACTIVITIES AND COUNTERMEASURES IN THE GDR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190179-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 179
• Publication Date: July 13, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190179-2
CLASSIFICATION COLIFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY German Democratic Republic
DATE OF
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspapers
WHERE
PUBLISHED Hambur,, New York
DATE
PUBLISHED 16 Mar-2 May 1954
LANGUAGE German
RESISTANCE ACTIVITIES AND COUNPE J4DA3IJRES IN THE GDR
TEACHER PURGE RESUMED -- Hamburg, Die Welt, 19 Mar 54
West Berlin, 18 March -- A new purge wave among the teaching profession
in the GDR has started. It was initiated with an order by the Council of
Ministers, according to which all teachers are "functionaries of the power of
the workers and peasants." In the Chemnitz region, two teachers were dis-
missed because they refused to accept this order. The allegations against
them are substantially the same as those made against others last year,
prior to the start of the "new policy." The only new charges are that the
teachers, in current-events classes, explained to the pupils that free elec-
tions in the GDR are an "absurd idea" and spoke of the mood of deep depression
in the GDR caused by the negative result of the Berlin Conference.
The new order has caused an increase in the number of teachers fleeing
the country. On 16 March aloue, about 40 teachers from the GDR asked for
asylum in West Berlin. They declares that the order had deprived them of the
last opportunity to continue the education of their pupi s according to prin-
ciples not depen4ent on party-line considerations.
DATE DIST. /3 Jul 1954
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
New York, N Y., Staats-Zeitung and Herold, 24 Apr 54
After a large number of teachers had been dismissed in the Leipzig and
Dresden districts at the beginning of March, the purge is now being continued
in intensified form in other district.) of the GDR. The teachers are called
in for an "interview," during which they are informed that they are no longer
suitable for employment as teachers because of their "attitude toward the
state."
50X1-HUM
STATE
ARNY
NAVY NSRS
I FBI
AIR
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AGITATION AGAINST ODER-NEISSE FRONTIER -- New York, N Y, Staats-Zeitung and
Herold, 13 Apr 54
Berlin -- Izydorczyk, Polish ambassador to the GDR, recently protested to
Premier Grotewohl about German criticism concerning the Oder-Neisse line now
taking place near that line, since this criticism is a matter of concern to
Poland. A similar protest has been sent by the Polish 'Workers Party to the SED
(Socialist Unity Party). It is reported that Vice-Premier Ulbricht has ordered
investigations which are to concentrate on Schwerin, Frankfurt an der Oder, and
Dresden. It is also reported that these "provocative criticisms" are still
going on.
New York, N Y) Staats-Zeitung and Herold, 16 Mar 54
has recently been carrying out large-scale searches for"enemiesuoft Service
,
the state,"
who are charged with agitation a
i
ga
nst the Oder-Neisse "Peace Frontier."
Several leading functionaries of the SED in Saxony have been expelled from the
party as a result .,.? th
is
MEASURES AGAINST REFUGEES FROM POLAND -- New York, N Y, Staats-Zeitung and
Herold, 23 Apr 54
The inhabitants of the regions along the Polish frontier near Neubrandenburg
have recently been required to sign statements that they would not give shelter
to anyone u--',le to produce valid indentity papers. This measure was taken on
emphatic requests by Poland and is designed to halt the flow of German and Polish
refugees from Poland into the GDR, which has increased considerably of late.
MEASURES AGAINST PEASANTS -- New York, N Y, Staats-Zeitung; and Herold,
2 May 54
Leipzig -- Many peasants with large holdings, whose identity cards have
expired and who have :st,,,yet delivered their quota of agricultural products for
1953, were not issued new identity cards when they applied for them. They can
receive them only when they can show a certificate stating that they have
fulfilled their quotas. This measure is intended to prevent peasants who
fear reprisals from fleeing the GDR.
MEASURES AGAINST FORGED DIRECTIVES -- Hamburg, Die Welt, 31 Mar 54
State Security Chief Wollweber has been trying for weeks to counteract
intensive resistance activity with the following appeal in the newspapers:
"Caution, forgers at work!" Forgery activity has been noted all over the GDR.
Collective farms, local authorities, and nationalized plants are being flooded
with forged directives. The senders of these directives always pretend to be
the various ministries of the GDR, and the letterheads usually look genuine.
For instance, the IV. Parteitag(Fourth Party Congress) collective farm
at'Parchim?:Pceived an official letter informing it that it was to be paid
a bonus oi5,OO6 marks.%Only when a delegation wantLd to collect the money
from the focal district council, and when the district council checked with
the ministry in Berlin, was the letter discovered to be a forgery. In other
cases, it has been reported, people-owned plants were requested, in forged
letters pretending to come from the ministry in charge of the plant, to dismiss
workers or to release money from the so-called directors' fund as a special
bonus for the workers.
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So far, the forged letters are the only evidence in the hands of the
authorities, and the originators have not been found in any of the cases.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES -- New York, N Y, Staats-Zeitung and Herold,
26.Apr 54
Parapets have recently been put up to on t::e roof of the prison at Goerlitz,
provide cover for the prison guards incaseofs erious trouble . This
project appears to have been carried out because the Goerlitz prison was
stormed on 17 June 1953, resulting in the release of its inmates.
-.3L
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190179-2