National Front (East Germany)

The National Front of the German Democratic Republic ( to 1973 National Front of Democratic Germany ) was a merger of parties and mass organizations in the GDR. Through the National Front should be able to influence socio-political processes the demand for all social groups. In practice, however, the National Front was also a means to discipline the block parties and mass organizations and to consolidate the hegemony of the SED in the state.

Participant

The National Front of the GDR was responsible for the ideological and organizational preparations for the elections and the establishment of the common lists of election candidates.

People's Chamber of deputies

Political parties and organizations were merged to form the National Front and represented by deputies in the People's Chamber:

Parties:

• Socialist Unity Party of Germany ( SED)
• Liberal Democratic Party of Germany ( Liberal Democratic Party )
• Christian Democratic Union ( CDU)
• Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany ( DBD)
• National Democratic Party of Germany ( NDPD )

Mass organizations:

• Free German Trade Union Federation ( fdgb )
• Free German Youth ( FDJ)
• Democratic Women's Federation of Germany ( DFD)
• Cultural Alliance (KB )
• Association of Peasant Mutual Aid ( VdgB )

The combined addition of the SED in the National Front parties were referred to as block parties. Other parties did not exist until 1989 in the GDR.

Other mass organizations

In addition, the following mass organizations the National Front were:

• Society for German - Soviet Friendship (DSF )
• Committee of Anti- Fascist Resistance Fighters ( KDAW )
• People's Solidarity ( VS)
• Pioneer organization Ernst Thalmann
• Writers' Union of the GDR ( DSV)
• Domowina

Associations, societies and associations

It consisted of representatives from the following organizations, societies and associations of the National Front:

• Society for Sport and Technology (GST )
• Urania
• Peace Council of the German Democratic Republic
• Federation of Small gardener, settlers and small animal breeder ( VKSK )
• Association of Consumer Cooperatives of the GDR
• German Gymnastics and Sports Association of the GDR ( DTSB )
• Solidarity Committee of the GDR
• German Red Cross of the GDR
• Chamber of Technology
• GDR Committee for Human Rights
• Blind and Visually Impaired Association of the GDR
• Deaf and hard of hearing association of the GDR
• Association of Theatre of the GDR
• Association of Artists of the GDR
• Association of Lawyers of the GDR
• Federation of Jewish Communities
• League of Peoples' Friendship
• League of the United Nations
• Association of Composers and Musicologists of the GDR
• Association of Film and Television of the GDR
• Federation of Architects of the GDR
• Association of Journalists of the GDR
• Central Committee for Jugendweihe

History

Even before the founding of the GDR there was a forerunner of the National Front, founded in 1945 the anti-fascist block, also known as the Democratic block. Then the National Front was launched at the Third German People's Congress in May 1949. At the 9th meeting of the German People's Council on 7 October 1949 the manifesto of the National Front of Democratic Germany was presented.

As a program of the National Front, the concept of was established " National Resistance ". Core sets were the resistance against the occupation statute, the rearmament of West Germany and the importation of American goods, as well as the "Enlightenment on American and British war propaganda " and the support of all " struggles of workers to secure their living and all [r ] resistance activities of the working population against control pressure, price intrigues and other plunder. "

The inaugural meeting was held on January 7, 1950. In February 1950, the National Council of the National Front was appointed. An important function took over the National Front in the People's Chamber and state elections in October 1950: Only the candidates of the National Front on the unit lists were in the 'choice' admitted. Initially, the National Front should still deal with pan-German issues, but since 1968 it was their main task, " unite common socialist road " all parties and mass organizations into one.

Since then there was the main significance of the National Front in the organization of sham elections in which there was only the " Unity List " of the National Front, which was usually chosen in the block. The actual election was thereby postponed the nomination of candidates by the National Front, which were also replaced in exceptional cases. The distribution of the vacant seats on the parties and mass organizations was doing already determined in advance, and remained for many option periods equal. The SED had together with the SED belonging to representatives of mass organizations always the absolute majority.

Other activities of the National Front

In the structural units of the National Front, the 17,000 committees at various levels down to the residential committees, 300,000 people worked volunteer with. They unfurled in some places, local activities and were responsible in co-operation with the city and municipal councils for order and cleanliness in their neighborhoods. They organized among other recyclables collections and organized residential area festivals. The National Front was winner of the local competition our beautiful villages and towns - Join us! and competition for the Golden house number. Successful local authorities and housing communities received moral and material awards such as monetary rewards or the badge of honor of the National Front in silver or bronze. The aim of these activities was to reach segments of the population who were not otherwise involved in structures such as political parties or mass organizations, and mobilize for the " construction of socialism ". Meritorious personalities of social life have been awarded by the National Front with the Medal of Honor of the National Front in silver. These honors were usually held in the Stone Hall of the National Council in East Berlin.

President of the National

The highest body of the National Front was the National Council, chaired by the President and Secretary General. The National Council had its headquarters in the former Otto Grote well - Straße 49, now the Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin -Mitte. Today is located in this building, part of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

President of the National Council of the National Front were:

• Erich Correns (1950-1981; died in office )
• Lothar Kolditz (1981-1990)

Press organ of the National Council

Between December 1947 and 1961, the National Front was a designed by Congress -Verlag Berlin magazine out to 1953 a week under the title "Germany's voice", then only every 14 days until 1959 under the title "Voice of the Patriots ", the last two years under the title of "The Voice ".