Life in East Germany Flashcards
(125 cards)
1
Q
When was abortion legalised in the GDR?
A
1972
2
Q
What did the 8th Party Congress of 1971 change? (6)
A
- abortion legalised
- contraceptives became free
- maternity leave extended
- work hours reduced for new mothers
- new mothers given a lump sum
- creches expanded
3
Q
What did the 1966 Family Code state in the GDR?
A
Men and women should share equally in childcare and domestic work
4
Q
How was greater gender equality achieved in the GDR? (3)
A
- Family Code
- mothers and single fathers given 1 day off a month to cope with housework
- high proportion of female employment
5
Q
What were the failures of gender equality in the GDR in the 1980s? (2)
A
- women were in lower paid and unskilled jobs
- no women in the Politburo
6
Q
What ages were in the FDJ?
A
14-25
7
Q
What ages were in the young pioneers?
A
6-14
8
Q
Why were youth groups in the GDR mixed gender?
A
To differentiate from Nazism
9
Q
What was the aim of youth groups in the GDR?
A
Prepare young people for admission as candidates to the communist party
10
Q
How did youth groups exert control? (3)
A
- indoctrinated young people
- non-attendance threatened prospects
- spying on pupils
11
Q
What state-promoted event attracted young people?
A
Festival of Political Songs
12
Q
How were youth groups successful? (2)
A
- FDJ newspaper had largest circulation within the GDR
- Most young people attended
13
Q
How were youth groups not successful? (2)
A
- Environmental and peace pressure groups gained popularity in place of the FDJ
- Western influence increased for young people
14
Q
What percentage of housing was destroyed in the GDR by the end of WW2?
A
14%
15
Q
What was prefabricated housing?
A
Building parts made in factories and delivered to housing sites for assembly
16
Q
What was Plattenbau housing?
A
Use of prefabricated concrete slabs to make buildings
17
Q
What was the purpose of housing estates in the GDR?
A
Creation of new socialist towns including health, community and sports centre
18
Q
What were the limitations of housing reforms in the GDR? (5)
A
- social inequality
- high crime rates
- overlooked elderly
- shortages
- bleak
19
Q
What was Wanalitz?
A
A secure housing zone for SED leaders, allowing them relative luxury
20
Q
What were polyclinics?
A
Establishments in every district offering a range of general healthcare and some specialist treatment
21
Q
What was the focus of healthcare in the GDR?
A
Preventative medicine and early diagnosis
22
Q
Why was health and social welfare prioritised by the SED?
A
Good health viewed as essential for high productivity
23
Q
How was health and social welfare successful in the GDR? (2)
A
- increased stability and reduced the attraction of the West
- successful rise in birth rate
24
Q
How was health and social welfare not successful under Honecker? (4)
A
- basic medical equipment often in short supply
- resources under pressure from aging population
- neglect of economically unproductive
- prioritised party members
25
What Western media was banned in the 1960s in the GDR?
Watching Western TV broadcasts
26
When was watching Western TV legally allowed in the GDR?
1972
27
How did James Bond illustrate hypocrisy in the GDR?
Banned but Stasi agents provided copies
for Honecker to watch
28
Which Western station transmitted across the GDR?
Radio Luxembourg
29
What was DT64?
Radio station established on 1964 to cater for interest in Western music
30
What percentage of radio could be Western music in the GDR?
40%
31
How was control of music unsuccessful in the GDR? (3)
- people broke pledges to not listen
- difficult to enforce
- people adopted fashion based on music
32
Why were SED officials and scientists banned from travel?
Seen as 'secret carriers'
33
What was the criteria for travel of workers from the GDR? (4)
- vetted
- over 26
- married - family must stay behind
- Reisebericht must be written
34
What was a Reisebericht?
Travel report explaining every detail of the trip
35
How was the SED successful in controlling travel to the West? (2)
- Western products kept East Germans contented
- People remained loyal to be granted permission for travel
36
How was the SED not successful in controlling travel to the West? (2)
- Constant reminder of division
- Showed advancement of the West
37
How did the Church compromise with the SED?
Took care of the non-working population
38
What did the 1978 Concordat formally agree between Church and state?
The Government would allow the Church more media time and open new centres of worship if it supported the regime
39
What did Pastor Oskar Brusewitz do in 1976?
Publicly set himself on fire to protest the relationship between the church and state, believing it concealed the fundamental conflict between God and Marx
40
How did conscientious objection cause Church persecution?
Church encouraged it, opposing the SED's emphasis on military education
41
How did the Stasi attempt to reduce the Church's independence?
Blackmailing, bribing and infiltrating the Church's leadership
42
What was the Junge Gemeinden?
Evangelist group, seen as counter-Communist
43
How were the Junge Gemeinden attacked by the SED? (2)
- Writings and badges banned in 1953
- Propaganda presented them as undermining the FDJ
44
When were student pastors outlawed?
1952
45
What were young Christians accused of in the GDR?
Western espionage and terrorism
46
What were the key phases of Church-state relations?
1. Antagonism (1945-69)
2. Cooperation (1969-78)
3. Compromise (1978-89)
47
Why was the Protestant church popular in the GDR following WW2?
Presented solace and a link with the past
48
in 1945, what proportion of the population were Protestant?
15 out of 17 million
49
What was banned in the GDR in 1946?
Church schools and religious education
50
What was the aim of the Anti-Church campaign?
Exploit divisions within the church and present it as a Western institution
51
What was the Jugendweihe?
Atheistic initiation ritual to welcome children into a Marxist adulthood
52
How did GDR propaganda present the West?
Suffering with social problems such as homelessness, economically exploiting East Germans
53
How did GDR propaganda present the Berlin Wall?
Protective barrier
54
How was propaganda and censorship successful in the GDR? (3)
- dominated by SED
- journalists trained and selected by the state
- banned media with political messages
55
How was propaganda and censorship not successful in the GDR?
Western programmes favoured and seen as more honest
56
Why did people in the GDR collaborate with the Stasi? (4)
- support Communist utopia
- material rewards
- education and opportunities
- blackmail
57
What proportion of the population were informers in 1985 in the GDR?
1 in 120
58
When were the Stasi set up?
1950
59
Who headed the Stasi following 1953?
Erich Mielke
60
How many people were full-time employed by the Stasi by the late 1980s?
90,000
61
How many informal members were in the Stasi by the late 1980s?
175,000
62
What are 3 examples of activities by the Stasi?
- monitored when people turned their lights on and off
- gathered information in the FRG
- collected mood reports of public opinion
63
What subjects were increased in GDR universities and why?
Maths, science and technology to facilitate economic development
64
Why were uni places reduced in the 1970s in the GDR?
Overqualified workforce
65
What subjects showed SED influence in university education?
Russian and Leninism
66
What were the aims of higher education in the GDR?
- develop technical skills
- reinforce political loyalty
- promote equal opportunity
67
Why were 80% of teachers immediately dismissed in the Soviet Zone following WW2?
Close ties with Nazism
68
How were teachers chosen in the Soviet Zone?
Due to having been persecuted by the Nazis - only had 2 weeks training
69
What were 'Gymnasiums' and when were they banned?
Traditional grammar schools, 1946
70
What were Grundschules?
Co-educational schools for 6-14 year olds
71
What was the aim of Grundschules?
Avoid disadvantaging those from peasant or working class backgrounds
72
Who was Minister for Education in 1963-89?
Margot Honecker
73
How did Margot Honecker change education?
Ensured education was driven by state philosophy, studying politics and citizenship
74
How was Western music shown to be dangerous in 1965?
2,500 beat music fans in Leipzig protested restrictions on musicians
75
Why was Western music dangerous?
Encouraged non-conformity and gangs
76
Why were Western influences less dangerous? (3)
- GDR films were high quality and widely enjoyed
- reduced escape
- largely superficial
77
When was the Family Code in the GDR?
1966
78
What did maternity leave increase from and to in the 1970s in the GDR?
From 18 to 26 weeks
79
How much were new mothers given in the 1970s?
DM 1,000
80
What were working hours for new mothers limited to in the 1970s in the GDR?
40 hours per week
81
By 1974, what percentage of infants under 3 were in creches in the GDR ?
60%
82
What was the response to the SED 8th Party Congress' reforms for women?
Popular but reinforced traditional gender roles, supporting mothers rather than women
83
What was the main aim of the SED's 8th Party Congress in 1971?
Improve working and living conditions of women
84
What were the positives for the status of women in 1980s GDR?
One of the highest proportions of female employment in the world and women had greater access to higher education
85
What was changed in the GDR by the 1976 9th Party Congress? (3)
- increased minimum wage
- 20% rise in pensions
- increased holiday entitlement for working mothers
86
What successfully increased in the GDR in the 1960s and 70s to match the FRG?
Life expectancy
87
What was the birth rate in the GDR in 1985 and how did this compare to the FRG?
13.7 thousand versus 9.6 thousand
88
By how much did the number of doctors per 100,000 people rise in the GDR between 1970 and 1989?
From 160 to 242
89
What is the overall judgement on health and social welfare provisions in the GDR?
Good intentions but lacking in economic support
90
When did the bulk of housing reforms take place in the GDR?
Under Honecker, from around 1973
91
What did Honecker announce in 1973 regarding housing?
That 1 million new homes would be built by 1990
92
What was the official name of the Stasi?
The Ministry of State Security
93
What was the founding purpose of the Stasi?
To defend the GDR against acts of sabotage
94
What was the colloquial name for the Stasi?
The Firm
95
Who was the leader of the Stasi before 1953?
Wilhelm Zaisser
96
What was Meikle's role under Honecker?
Politburo member - the Minister of the Stasi
97
How was the Stasi affected by the Abegrenzung policy?
Counter Western influence by rooting out all enemies of socialism
98
How did greater international recognition of the GDR affect the Stasi?
Forced them to reign in acts of violence
99
In the 1970s, how many phones were bugged per day in Leipzig?
1,000
100
What made the Stasi so feared and effective?
They were well integrated into society
101
Who did the Stasi work with to ensure the SED maintained control?
The National People's Army, foreign intelligence and border troops
102
Roughly how many people did the Stasi imprison for political reasons between 1949-89?
200,000 - 250,000
103
What was the FDJ's newspaper called?
Junge Welt
104
What was the circulation of the FDJ newspaper in the 1950s?
1.4 million, largest of any paper in the GDR
105
How many organisations did the FDJ control?
28,000
106
What was the Statute of the FDJ?
'prepare its best members for admission as candidates into the Communist party'
107
How many people attended an FDJ holiday camp in 1983?
1 million
108
What were The Hans-Beimler contests?
Military sports events run in schools by the FDJ
109
How was the significance of the FDJ undermined?
Most attendees put up with the propaganda and uniforms to access the rewards and opportunities available
110
What did the SED's 3rd Party Congress in 1950 declare about culture?
That it all had to be based on Marxist-Leninist principles
111
How was the GDR portrayed in its propaganda of the 1950s?
The genuine representative of all of Germany's achievements
112
What was the overtly political TV channel in the GDR called and what was its percentage of audience share?
The Black Channel - 5%
113
How did the GDR present itself in its propaganda of the 1970s?
A unique and non-German state, military propaganda increased
114
How was censorship treated in the constitution of the GDR and how was this dealt with?
It was forbidden but the press nationalisation and single party state meant that all areas of publications had to be SED approved
115
Which body dealt with media and censorship in the GDR?
The Public Relations Office
116
Which 1965 film was banned and why in the GDR?
The Rabbit Is Me - highlighted judicial corruption and political subversion
117
What were the most popular TV shows in the GDR?
American prime time shows such as Dallas and Dynasty
118
In what unfortunate areas was propaganda effective in the GDR?
On the party - it came to believe it was creating a utopia and the GDR was politically free and had better living standards than the West
119
What is a 'niche society' (Gaus)?
Refers to an outward appearance of loyalty in contrast to private discontent
120
What caused many GDR citizens to accept the repressive government of the SED?
Awareness of the quality of living standards in comparison to the rest of the Eastern Bloc
121
What is evidence of the SED's attempt to portray its citizens as content and docile?
They banned the publication of suicide rates
122
What was the percentage increase of people taking the Jugendweihe between 1954 to the late 1960s?
17.7% - over 90%
123
What was created in 1960 to coordinate the work of the Church under the control of the SED?
The State Secretariat for Church Questions
124
What fraction of East Germans saw themselves as atheists by 1964?
1/3
125
