State Secretary for Church Affairs
The State Secretary for Church Affairs of the GDR was Head of the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs is responsible for the relationship of the state to the churches and religious communities.
Structures and tasks
Following the example of the USSR and other socialist countries, this site was set up in 1957. The aim was to prevent " any attempt at interference church officials in international affairs, particularly in education and education issues." In addition, the Secretaries of State should verify that the laws and regulations " yet reflect the current state of social development in our country. " Church leaders saw the establishment of a "state secretariat, religious affairs " to.
Behind the Secretary of State was a growing over time office. In 1957 this consisted of 25 employees. In 1979 there were already 40 to 45 employees.
All transactions of the churches and religious communities with the tips of the state institutions had since been run through the Secretary of State. Direct talks between different ministries and churches were not permitted. However, the respective Secretary of State conveyed since the 1970s so-called tangible conversations between the Ministry and church representatives. Even the basic conversation between Erich Honecker and the Protestant Church 1978 peak was prepared by the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State was no single Ministry but the Council of Ministers assigned directly. Tasks were administrative matters such as the approval of the departure of church representatives in foreign countries. He also had towards the churches and religious communities and enforce the policies of the SED and the state. On the other hand, he should forward the Church wishes to the appropriate state agencies.
The ultimate aim was to push back the churches in society and be confined to the narrow ecclesiastical space. At the same time should be promoted in the churches the "development and consolidation of the state of consciousness ."
Secretaries
Secretaries were SED functionaries in the rule. In the first decades of the secretaries of state had mostly listened during the Weimar Republic, the German Communist Party were in opposition or persecution of National Socialism. It also contacts were formed to the Christian resistance. First Secretary of State was Werner Eggerath, followed by Hans Seigewasser and Klaus Gysi. There followed in 1988 Kurt Löffler and after the start of turning Lothar de Maizière.
The largely non- influential deputies came from the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. The first was Fritz Flint, followed Hermann calf.
A real impact on the legislation and the adoption of regulations in church was requested by the Secretary of State no. More important was the work group Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Central Committee of the SED. However, the personal political standing of Seigewasser Gysi and strengthened their influence in the church policy.
Development of church policy
In connection with the appointment of Secretary of State, the Church policy in 1957 was exacerbated towards the churches. Thus, the relations with the EKD were canceled. Instead Eggerath tried to play off the various national churches against each other. His successor, avoided even a meeting with representatives of the EKD and sharply criticized the country's churches, who held on to the all-German organization. After the Federation of Evangelical Churches in the GDR was founded in 1969, it was the part of the State Secretaries Seigewasser and Gysi to approximations to the churches.
The Protestant churches were the Secretaries of State recognized as representatives of the state. Compared to this, they urged the observance of the Honecker in 1978 guaranteed equal rights and respect for the churches. The Catholic Church was more cautious in this regard. Only representatives of the Episcopal Conference negotiated with the Secretary of State. The Catholic Church also tried on key questions about the relationship with the Church in the Federal Republic of Germany, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction or the relations with the Vatican, bypassing the Secretary of State to negotiate with the heads of state and party leaders.