Censorship in the GDR

In the occupation zone of Germany by Soviet troops from 1945 until the formation of the GDR in October 1949, censorship was carried out by the Soviet Military Administration of Germany (SVAG). On the ground, censors were appointed, usually propaganda officers with a very good knowledge of German, most often with the rank of captain or major. Periodicals of the parties of the anti-fascist-democratic bloc ( Christian Democratic Union , the Liberal Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party of Germany ) were subject to prior censorship, while the newspapers of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) adhered to a given "party line" through self-censorship. Under preliminary censorship, an editor was appointed in the newspaper, who was obliged before the commencement of the press to submit to the commandant’s office a correctional search for the new issue and obtain permission to print. The Propaganda Department, later renamed the Information Directorate, was part of SVAG. Its leader from 1945 to September 1949 was Major General Sergei Ivanovich Tulips ^[1] . Similar offices also existed in the regional offices of SVAG. In 1949, during the formation of the GDR, it was decided to “introduce the state ideology” of the press and transfer the media and publishing houses to state ownership; accordingly, prior censorship was replaced by less direct forms of censorship.

The 1949 Constitution of the GDR guaranteed in Section 2 of Article 9 that censorship of the media was prohibited ^[2] . This provision was removed from article 9 in the new wording of the 1968 constitution and singled out in a separate article 27, which states:

• “Every citizen has the right to freely and publicly express his opinion in accordance with the principles of the constitution”
• “Freedom of press, radio and television is guaranteed”

Despite this, throughout the entire history of the GDR, official and unofficial censorship was carried out, which noticeably weakened only in the last years of the state’s existence. Since the GDR was a one-party state, democratic freedoms were controlled by the ruling party and depended on the views of high-ranking party functionaries.

Despite the apparent contradiction of censorship to the provisions of the constitution, its existence was justified by the interests of state security, public propriety and other reasons stipulated by the laws of the GDR.

A number of legal provisions enshrined in the Criminal Code of the GDR, was used to implement censorship:

• “Rubber” article No. 106 punished “anti-state propaganda” and “misuse of the media for spreading bourgeois ideology.”
• Article No. 219, “Unlawful Entry into Relationships,” criminalized the possession and transfer to third parties of Western newspapers and magazines.
• Article No. 220 “Dissemination of slanderous fabrications” protected state bodies and their employees not only from slander, but also from “discrediting”.
• Articles No. 245 and No. 246 “Disclosure of State Secrets” made the transfer of information on the state of affairs in the GDR to the Western media criminal.

The Copyright Ordinance of the Copyright Office regulated publications abroad to prevent GDR writers from publishing works in Western countries in circumvention of censorship: this was possible only with the permission of the Bureau ^[3] .

All publications in the media, works of art and culture were controlled by government agencies. All potential publications have been multi-stage tested. One of the steps was external censorship carried out by the government and internal censorship by the local authorities of the SED.

External censorship

External censorship was carried out by editorial teams of print organs. The publication was analyzed in terms of compliance with the socialist ideology, and if necessary, the author was sent a proposal for changes. After making changes, the work was re-checked.

State censorship

State censorship was conducted under the leadership of two government bodies: the General Directorate of Book Publishing and the Book Trade ( German. Hauptverwaltung Verlage and Buchhandel, HV ) and the Copyright Office ( German Büro für Urheberrechte ). The main department of book publishing made a decision about the degree of censorship, and the methods of publication and marketing . The task of management, according to the “Ordinance on the development of progressive literature” ( Verordnung über die Entwicklung fortschrittlicher Literatur ), was to allow or prohibit the publication of books by distributing printing paper ^[4] . The main department of book publishing and book trade completely controlled all 78 publishing houses of the GDR. Thus, in addition to the distribution of paper and the regulation of production capacities for printing, management staff could directly influence the managers of publishing houses and editors ^[5] . The Copyright Office made a decision on the possibility of publication abroad. Obtaining permission was not automatic and could only be possible under certain conditions ^[6] .

Censorship SED

Party censorship permeated the GDR from top to bottom. Key positions in all enterprises and organizations (including in the “author teams”) were held by members of the SED. Sometimes censorship was carried out by the highest bodies of the SED, including the Politburo.

Plots and key topics covered by the media were asked by the Politburo of the Central Committee (CC). In the subordination of the secretary of the Central Committee on agitation and propaganda, among other things, was the department on agitation, which was engaged in the media. Among the methods of influence used were daily conferences with media representatives in Berlin, teleconferences with other newspapers of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, and publication of directives to the press. In addition, the press department of the government of the GDR issued "instructions" for the media. At the local level, censorship was carried out by state “information departments”, which also issued “recommendations” that corresponded to the instructions given by the government. Also indirectly, local headquarters of the party took part in censorship of the media, which daily sent to the editorial offices by teletype lists of mandatory topics, arguments that should have been used in writing event commentaries, wording of headlines, and plan targets. For this reason, the popular expression “My point of view will be sent from Berlin at two o'clock!” Was popular among the editors of provincial newspapers.

Censorship of newspapers and magazines

In the GDR, the printing of periodicals was possible only when a press license was obtained. In the occupation zone, Soviet troops allowed the publication of only ideologically close party newspapers, with the exception of a few non-partisan publications (for example, Abendpost in Erfurt or Tagespospost in Potsdam). After the unification of the parties of the anti-fascist-democratic bloc, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany gained full control over periodicals. After the abolition of the last above-party newspapers in the 1950s, all daily newspapers in the GDR were controlled by parties of the anti-fascist-democratic bloc or public organizations.

The sale and delivery of newspapers and magazines was the monopoly of the GDR press distribution agency ( German Postzeitungsvertrieb der DDR ). The agency compiled a list of newspapers and magazines to be distributed. In fact, refusal to enter the list or exclusion from it meant a ban on printing. For example, in November 1988, the Soviet newspaper Sputnik was removed from the list for a year due to a number of critical articles.

In the Central Committee and in the press department of the GDR government, there were assessment groups (the so-called "selection group" of the agitation and propaganda department), which monitored all publications. Decisions on taking sanctions against the media or individual journalists were made on the basis of these assessments ^[7] .

Electronic media censorship

After the end of the war, regional broadcasting stations were established under the control of the Soviet military administration in Germany (SWAG) (including Berliner Rundfunk, Mittelduech Rundfunk, and regional stations in the cities of Dresden , Schwerin , Halle , Erfurt and Potsdam ). Regional stations were subordinated to the "Berliner Rundfunk", which, in turn, was managed by SVAG. October 12, 1949 control of broadcasting passed to the government of the GDR. In 1952, broadcasting was centralized: the central radio station arrived at the disposal of the agitation and propaganda department of the SED Central Committee; thus, the department was the monopolist of broadcasting ^[8] . In 1968, separate committees for television and radio broadcasting were formed under the Council of Ministers of the GDR: the State Committee for Radio Broadcasting at the Council of Ministers of the GDR and the State Committee for Television. However, both committees remained under the control of the SED and continued to receive government instructions [5]. Censorship of electronic media remained ineffective, as the population of the GDR was able to receive radio and television programs of the Western media. Even before Western television began to play an important role in providing information to residents of the GDR, radio stations, for example, the American radio sector of the occupation of Berlin, violated the monopoly of the GDR government on information. Attempts to stifle the reception of Western programs have been successful only in the mid-wave range. West German television and radio programs that were broadcast in the VHF band were not muffled and in most regions of the GDR was possible (and generally accepted) unimpeded reception. At the same time, the reception of programs of western stations was partially punished. However, in the 1980s. In the GDR, the government allowed a number of initiatives to build cable networks, most of them to improve the reception of broadcasts from West Germany. Due to the wide availability and great popularity among the population of Western television and radio programs, the GDR government for the entire period of the republic’s existence could not prevent the dissemination of uncensored information (with the exception of the so-called “ Prosland Valley ”).

All publishing houses, social events and art exhibitions were subject to censorship. All literary works before publication and dramatic works were censored before production.

Censored topics

All publications criticizing the political regime in the socialist countries and the communist ideology were strictly prohibited.

It was forbidden to criticize socialism as a whole, as well as criticism of the socialist system in the GDR, the USSR and other countries of the socialist bloc. Prohibited discussions about the activities and methods of the political police " Stasi ". Any manifestations of sympathy for capitalism and fascism, which were regarded as the main ideological opponents of communism, were also prohibited. Not to be published any calls for opposition to the government.

Negative reflection of socialist reality was forbidden, including the standard of living, quality of education, environmental pollution and other problems of industrial development, illegal transition in the Federal Republic of Germany ( Republikflucht ), Berlin Wall .

There were also stringent standards of decency. Prohibited sexual themes (pornography, homosexuality), violence and crime in the GDR, social problems (alcoholism, suicide, drug addiction, depression) .

In addition to thematic bans, the government reserved the right to prohibit publication or exhibition due to incompatibility with the “proper form”. The verses in poetry, the inner monologue, the stream of consciousness, the absurd, the avant-garde, and abstract art were considered inappropriate.

Punishment and consequences

The easiest punishment for non-compliance with the rules of censorship was to prevent or prohibit publication. Punitive measures were also used: arrest, house arrest, expulsion from the party (for members of the SED), denial of an exit visa. In exceptional cases, expulsion from the country, most often to West Germany, was used.

Censorship was not applied equally to all authors. Party members, as well as popular writers and authors who had political connections, enjoyed greater freedom of publication. The practice of censoring also depended heavily on the personal relationship of the censor to the author. Very often, topics covered in a particular area of ​​publication were resolved in other areas.

Most authors tried to avoid conflict with the authorities, creating works that corresponded to the “party lines”. This phenomenon is called "self-censorship." Others perceived the power of censorship as a challenge and incentive to creativity. Many dissidents with varying success tried to avoid censorship by the skillful use of allegory, irony, satire, metaphor.

The presence of censorship also led to attempts by the public to create (illegally) alternative media. Especially worth noting "samizdat", as well as some church magazines. However, they achieved results only at the local level.

• en: Eastern Bloc media and propaganda
• pl: Cenzura w Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej
• Censorship in the USSR
• List of seized literature
• de: Geschichte der Zensur

• Barck, Simone et al .: The Fettered Media: Controlling Public Debate. In: Konrad Jarausch (ed.): Dictatorship as Experience. Towards a Socio-Historical History of the GDR . New York, NY Berghahn Books 2006 (reprint), pp. 213–240. [one]
• Boyle, Maryellen. Capturing Journalism: Press and Politics in East Germany, 1945–1991 . Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego 1992.
• Holzweissig, Gunter. Massenmedien in der DDR . Berlin: Verlag Gebr. Holzapfel 1983.
• Holzweissig, Gunter. Zensur ohne Zensor: Die SED-Informationsdiktatur . Bonn: Bouvier 1997.
• Kloetzer, Silvia / Siegfried Lokatis. Criticism and censorship. Negotiating cabaret performance and book production. In: Konrad Jarausch (ed.): Dictatorship as Experience. Towards a Socio-Historical History of the GDR . New York, NY Berghahn Books 2006 (reprint), pp. 241–264.
• Simone Barck, Martina Langermann, Siegfried Lokatis: “Jedes Buch ein Abenteuer!” Zensursystem und literarische Öffentlichkeiten in der DDR bis Ende der sechziger Jahre; Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1997; ISBN 3-05-003118-2
• Falco Werkentin: Politische Strafjustiz in der Ära Ulbricht; Berlin: Links, 1995; ISBN 3-86153-069-4
• Siegfried Bräuer, Clemens Vollnhals (Hrsg.): In der DDR gibt es keine Zensur. Die Evangelische Verlagsanstalt und die Praxis der Druckgenehmigung. 1954–1989 Inhaltsübersicht, Leipzig 1995, ISBN 3-374-01583-2 .

• GDR Censporship regarding Literature (German)
• The time in the GDR Online (him.)
• Literature in the GDR (German)
• RFE / RL East German Subject Files: Resistance and Criticism of the Regime Open Society Archives, Budapest