East German Propaganda

My book titled Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2004) provides an analysis of much of the material on the German Propaganda Archive. It can be ordered in the United States through amazon.com in either the hardcover or paperback edition.

I. Speeches by East German Leaders

• A speech by Albert Norden on the Division of Germany from 1966.
• Two speeches by Erich Honecker to the Free German Youth from 1984 and 1989.
• Erich Honecker on Peace: A speech from 1984.

II. Miscellaneous Propaganda

• American Beetles: 1950 charges that the U.S. dropped potato beetles on the GDR.
• The Five Year Plan: Walter Ulbricht introduces the plan for 1951-1955.
• It’s Up to You!: A 1954 pamphlet on a East-West controversies.
• The Call of the Heart: From a book on Khrushchev’s 1957 visit to the GDR.
• The 40th Anniversary of the KPD: 1958 material on the founding of the German Communist Party.
• Ten Years of the GDR: A 1959 booklet commemorating the GDR’s 10th anniversary.
• Farmer Arnold: A 1960 pamphlet promoting collective farms.
• “Dangerous Shadows”: Defending the GDR’s agriculture from fascist sabotage.
• On the 13th: A pamphlet praising the Berlin Wall just after it was built.
• Securing peace in Germany: A chapter from a 1970 textbook on the Berlin Wall.
• A 1962 propaganda brochure defending the Berlin Wall.
• The Meaning of Being a Soldier: Material given to draftees in the GDR’s armed forces.
• Military Agitation: An essay fromRadar, the GDR’s magazine for military agitators.
• GDR Review: A monthly propaganda periodical in English (August 1984).
• West Germany’s “Great Coup”: GDR press reports on fleeing citizens (September 1989)
• Definition of atheism: Definitions of atheism from 1967 and 1988.
• Definitions of freedom and republic: From 1967.
• Material for the Youth
  • The Rules of the Thälmann Pioneers: What 4th to 7th graders in the GDR promised to do.
  • Material fromTrommel: The GDR magazine for children.
  • The Seven Brothers: Material from a 1985 children’s book on military matters.
  • Material from a 9th grade history slide show on Ernst Thälmann.
  • A chapter from a 1988 civics textbook: The advantages of socialism.

III. Posters and Visual Material

• Caricatures from 1953: Mostly aimed at the U.S. or West Germany.
• Walter Ulbricht: Material from a 1968 coffee table book on the GDR’s leader.
• The 30th Anniversary of the GDR: 19 posters prepared for the event in 1979.
• GDR posters: I do not have many.
• Free German Youth pictures: Photographs of FDJ activities, 1976-1980.
• Honecker poster: This is one of the official posters of Erich Honecker.
• Socialist competition: Bulletin board material to motivate workers (1988).
• Thomas Müntzer: Bulletin board material on the 500th anniversity of his birth (1988).
• Wall newspaper material from 1989: General material intended for bulletin boards.

IV. Material for Propagandists

• Dealing with former Nazis: Advice to propagandists from early 1946
• “Why is the Oder-Neiße Line a Border of Peace?”: Advice from 1950 on German territory lost to Poland.
• “The Tasks of Party Propaganda”: A 1950 pamphlet outlining the party’s education system.
• On Improving Party Propaganda: A 1954 speech by Fred Oelßner reviewing GDR propaganda.
• On improving agitation: Parts of a 1955 meeting on agitation work.
• “The Journalist in our Day”: Albert Norden on socialist and Western journalism.
• Leading the Jugendweihe: 1960 material for leaders of the youth dedication ceremony.
• Arguments for the Berlin Wall: 1961 material for propagandists just after the Wall.
• “Closely Tied to the Masses”: Heinz Geggel speaks to agitators in 1976.
• “Why are West Germans Anti-Communist?”: 1979 arguments on why West Germans failed to see the advantages of socialism.
• Youth and worldviews: Material on propaganda aimed at young people (1980).
• The Situation in Poland: 1980 advice on the Solidarity movement in Poland.
• Propaganda Plan for County Rochlitz (1982): Each SED county branch made an annual plan.
• “Oral Agitation”: A 1984 introduction to a book on face-to-face propaganda.
• Military Agitation: A chapter from the 1988 GDR textbook on military agitation.
• The official definitions of propaganda and agitation: From the Kleines politisches Wörterbuch.
• Material from Periodicals for Agitators: 1951-1989
  • The Soviet Union and Atomic Weapons: Why the USSR had atomic weapons (1951).
  • Model agitators: Examples of what to do (1953).
  • On improving agitation: Advice after the 17 June 1953 uprising (July).
  • “The Importance of Alertness”: The enemy is still at work after the June uprising (1953).
  • On those leaving East Germany: Advice from 1955 on Republikflucht (fleeing the GDR).
  • “What is Our Money Worth?”: Comparing living standards (1978).
  • What and How (February 1981): Advice for GDR propagandists.
  • “Transparent ‘Advice’”: What to say about the Soviet Union and Gorbachev (1988).

V. Links

• My research files: My Zotero library with research notes is available. Feel free to use the material. Appropriate credit appreciated.
• My unpublished essay on Neues Deutschland after the Wende.
• The Berlin State Library has Neues Deutschland, the Berliner Zeitung, and Neue Zeit on-line.
• Eastern German Studies Association: A defunct scholarly organization interested in the GDR.
• The Marx Archive: The source documents.

For more information on the German Propaganda Archive, see the FAQ.

Last edited 6 May  2025

My e-mail address is available on the FAQ page.