Rabkrin

The Workers 'and Peasants' Inspection ( ABI) was a control institution in the GDR, which was subordinate to the Central Committee of the SED and the Council of Ministers of the GDR. You should secure the unconditional fulfillment of Party and government decisions.

The Workers 'and Peasants' Inspection was introduced on 14 May 1963, a SED and the Council of Ministers decision in the framework of the New Economic System of Planning and Management ( NES ) under Walter Ulbricht. A similar organization for several decades already served in the Soviet Union for control of industry and agriculture (Russian Рабоче - крестьянская инспекция - Рабкрин, РКИ ). Forerunner of the Workers 'and Peasants' Inspection was in 1948 formed by the German Economic Commission Central Commission of State Control of Ministers of the GDR.

The ABI should be " separate and independent from the lines and heads of the party, state and economic organs " and work "with the support of the public irrespective of the person " uncover and eliminate barriers. With the failure of the New Economic System and the ABI lost influence.

Erich Honecker had to rewrite the law. Henceforth, should by the ABI only the fulfillment of the economic plan be ensured by precise control of compliance with SED decisions, compliance with production plans, avoidance of bureaucracy and perfection of organization and management took place.

The system built up around 280,000 volunteer ABI employees, the so-called "popular checkers " on who worked full time in cooperatives, factories and combines, ministries and administrations. They controlled their employees and were authorized to give instructions and to arrange even disciplinary action, but their actual influence were rather low. However, the newspapers reported often about successes of the People's inspectors, when it came to supply shortages and inadequate services, particularly egregious cases were even evaluated on East German television.

Excellent ABI employees could be awarded on the recommendation of the Central Committee of the ABI with the honorary title of Honored People's Controller of the German Democratic Republic.

The tip of the ABI was the Central Committee of the ABI, whose chairman should be a member of the Council of Ministers. Chairman of the Central Committee of the ABI were:

Other bodies were branch inspections of the associations of Publicly Owned Enterprises ( VVB ) and district, county, city and township inspections. The regional organs were the central committee and the local population and local councils accountable. The state and political party organizations such as police, judiciary, Stasi and the party machines were subject to any control by the ABI.