German Economic Commission

The German Economic Commission ( DRC ) was the central German administrative authority in the Soviet occupation zone and had finally quasi-governmental functions.

History

The Economic Commission was established in Berlin on the basis of Order No. 138 of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD ) on 11 June 1947. It existed until the founding of the GDR on 7 October 1949.

The Commission was mandated by the SMAD founded in 1945 the central government for the various economic sectors of finance, social affairs and other areas. There were later central government for resettlement, statistics, inter-zone and foreign trade as well as sequestration and seizure. Were incorporated Not Commission affairs, public education and justice. Basically, the central government remained independently.

Members of the Commission were the presidents of the central administrations for industry, commerce, transport, agriculture and forestry, as well as fuel and energy. There were also the first Chairman of the fdgb and VdgB. First, there was no Chairman of the Commission itself

The Commission served to coordinate the central government. There were also the contact for SMAD and ensuring reparations.

Because of the critical economic development in the Soviet occupation zone and after the failure of the London Conference of Foreign Ministers in December 1947 there was a reorganization of the Commission. By Order No. 32 of the SMAD February 12, 1948, she was authorized to the German authorities in the Soviet Zone to adopt regulations and arrangements. There was now plenary sessions and a secretariat. In addition, a permanent chairman Heinrich Rau and two deputies Bruno Leuschner and Fritz Selbmann were installed. All three were members of the SED. You could make mandatory arrangements for the machinery of the Commission. The ten-member secretariat had only one representative of each of the parties, the CDU and LDP what zugutekam the expansion of the hegemony of the SED.

The Commission were Affiliated now the economic management and planning. Also in 1948, the central government has been renamed to Regional Offices and their number increased from 14 to 17. The number of members of the Commission increased since November 27, 1948 from 38 to 101 people from the administrations. There were now 48 representatives of the " population ", 15 representatives of the parties and 10 representatives of mass organizations.

The DWK extended their influence gradually to the whole economy of the Soviet occupation zone, including the private sector, agriculture, trade and banks and to other areas such as scientific research. She reached thus even before the foundation of the GDR a considerable centralization. The Secretariat of the Economic Commission had finally quasi-governmental functions. On October 7, 1949, the Commission and its affiliated 10,000 -strong apparatus in the " Provisional Government " of the GDR went on.

The Economic Commission was housed in the building of the former Reich Air Ministry, the Detlev - Rohwedder-Haus in Berlin.