Mass Organisation Work

Mass Organisation Work

1. Free German Trade Union Federation [FDGB]

   • was the official trade union organisation with over 9 million members in the 1980s, covered more or less 100% of the adult population
   • was a state run organisation that supposedly represented the 'true' feelings and interests of the workers
   • suggested that the FDGB was a continuity of the German Labour Front [Nazi organisation]
     • suggested that the DAF was better at indoctrination than the FDGB was
   • widespread complaints amongst East Germans about the organisation not being truly representative.
   • But in many incidents the FDGB took in workers complaints seriously, especially on poor conditions and management.
     • frequently did genuinely serve to represent workers interests against those of local managers, especially in disuputes about health, safety, working conditions etc.
   • membership had many perks: including the holidays. --> organisation of regular holidays within the GDR was more or less a monopoly of FDGB
   • membership was partly due to coercion and perks that arose as a result of being a member.
   • organised demonstrations and strikes
   • happiness of the workers was a key part of the workers and Peasants State
   • started a brigade competition 'Who can run the most miles?'

2. The League of Culture [KB]

   • primarily targeted intellectuals with the discussion circles and philosophical circles through such organisations as Klubs der Intelligenz
   • lots of special interest groups of less obvious intellectual character
   • also encompassed a wide range of special interest groups of less obviously intellectual character
   • special interest groups included sailing, gardening, caving, small animal breeding etc
   • many thousands participated in these groups, especially allotment gardening; which by the 1980s, a majority of GDR household had an allotment. Producing 98.9% of the GDRs honey supplies
   • 1,500,000 full members in 1988
   • many members became environmental activists - this concerned the SED

3. The Society of German Soviet Friendship [DSF]

   • 5,500,000 members, the second largest mass organisation after the FDGB
   • primary task: to bring love of Soviet culture to the Germans, through films, the Russian language and cultural activities

4. Sport and Gymnastic Union [DTSB]

   • founded in 1957, bringing together 35 different sporting associations
   • by the 1970s= 2,800,000 members, of whom over 2,000,000 were male
   • football, fishing and gymnastics were the most popular associations
   • organised on the principle of democratic centralism, but towards the 1978/80s there is evidence that the organisation represented the interests of local communities in attempts to improve facilities and supplies of equipment under worsening economic circumstances.
   • +340,000 people took part in table tennis tournaments
   • +107,000 involved in volleyball tournaments
   • 1,800,000 young people took part in heats and finals of the various sports included in the National Youth Festival of 1980
   • join in stay fit campaign attracted high participation rtes, as did badminton, bowling and less energetic sports such as chess
   • in 1982, as many as 3,300,000 East Germans were members of sports clubs

5. Sport and Technology Association [GST]

   • the GST was formed in 1952 with the aim to be paramilitary organisation, and a training ground for the next generation of GDR soldiers
   • one of the GST's functions was to organise summer and holiday camps for young patriots- large numbers of school children took part in these activities
   • the camps involved paramilitary education lessons, alongside activities such as sailing, paragliding, driving lessons and learning how to operate amateur radios
   • membership was extremely attractive for many young East Germans
   • more than 4/5ths of members of the GSR in the mid 1980s according to 1 survey, participated paramilitary sports

6. Democratic German Women's League [DFD]

   • combined both overly political goals and the kinds of general activities found in Western voluntary women's organisations
   • its membership contained an high percentage of women who were not affiliated to any political party whatsoever
   • the aims of the DFD was to reach the parts the party couldn't reach
   • repeated efforts to get young women to have higher goals for themselves, other than just to settle down, marry and have children
   • in April 1962, reveals that of the 1,312,980 members, 454,620 were housewives, 366,044 were workers and 276,516 were employees
   • turnout was rarely more than 20% of the membership