„Den Gegner irgendwo festhalten“: „Transfergeschäfte“ der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland mit der DDR-Regierung 1957-1990
The fact that the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) arranged for financial transfers from the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKiD), which they otherwise regarded as obnoxious, can only be explained as part of this government's wider dual strategy of deception. On the one hand...
| Published in: | Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
1993
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| In: |
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Year: 1993, Volume: 6, Issue: 2, Pages: 379-426 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The fact that the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) arranged for financial transfers from the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKiD), which they otherwise regarded as obnoxious, can only be explained as part of this government's wider dual strategy of deception. On the one hand, the SED attacked the church through administrative, propagandistic and secret police methods, trying to force the church to be docile and obedient to its plans. By the end of 1956, indeed, the eastern regional churches of the EKiD were on the edge of financial ruin. The SED's policy of prohibiting the collection of church taxes by the state's taxation offices, and the deliberate curtailment of state subsidies by 50% in contravention of the constitution, had the results desired by the SED. On the other hand, the GDR faced severe economic difficulties. Poland was delivering no more coal. The GDR's railway system and the electricity network were on the point of collapse. As a result the GDR allowed the EKiD to support its eastern members with an annual subsidy of DM 40 million, which was to be delivered in the form of goods — coal, steel, copper and foodstuffs. In return the GDR government paid the equivalent in DM-East to the local churches. Thus began the so-called "Church Deal A". In 1964 a second stage was adopted which allowed for "purchasing" the release of political prisoners, and from 1972 there followed the "Special Programme" and the "Foreign Currency Programme". Altogether from 1972 some DM 100 million was sent by the EKiD-West to the eight eastern protestant churches. Without such assistance these churches' very existence would have been in doubt. But all this took place for over 36 years under conditions of strict secrecy, as demanded by the GDR. Questions may well be asked as to why the EKiD allowed itself to be drawn into this dubious double strategy. Since the collapse of the GDR in 1989, the question is now posed: did the EKiD aid contribute to stabilizing the GDR? The present article is based on a study of the records of the EKiD, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the SED and its affiliates, which have become available since 1993, and which document the conditions and details of the transfer payments made by the EKiD to the GDR. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-808X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
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