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| Deutsche Volkspolizei German People's Police | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Volkspolizei | |
_Banner.svg) Banner of the Volkspolizei | |
| Motto | Für den Schutz der Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Macht |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 31 October, 1945 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Dissolved | 1990 |
| Superseding agency | Bundespolizei/LandespolizeiSaxony,Thuringia [de],Saxony-Anhalt,Brandenburg,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [de],Berlin |
| Employees | 257,500
|
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | German Democratic Republic |
| Operations jurisdiction | German Democratic Republic |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | East Berlin |
| Parent agency | Ministry of the Interior |
| Facilities | |
| Cars | Trabant[1] Moskvitch 408 Wartburg 353 Lada Gaz-24 Gaz-21 ZAZ |
TheDeutsche Volkspolizei (DVP,German for "German People's Police"), commonly known as theVolkspolizei orVoPo,[2] was the national uniformedpolice force of theGerman Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1945 to 1990. The Volkspolizei was a highly-centralized agency responsible for most civilianlaw enforcement in East Germany, maintaining roughly 257,500 personnel at its peak. It worked closely along with theStasi to maintain public order and identify threats to the government.
TheVolkspolizei was effectively founded in June 1945 when theSoviet Military Administration in Germany (SVAG) established central police forces in the regions ofNazi Germany it occupied following afterWorld War II.[3]
The SVAG approved the arming ofcommunity-level police forces on 31 October 1945, but remained a non-militarised force, and by 1946 theVolkspolizei comprised some 22,000 personnel.[3] The police force experienced several challenges at this time: the proportion of non-trained personnel between 65 and 95% undermined its professionalism andturnover rates of personnel were initially as high as 50%, affecting the stability of the workforce.[4] By 1948,Volkspolizei membership had increased to approximately 65,000, but there were still issues of political unreliability and insufficient professionalaptitude, which prompted a purge of 10,000 from the force in 1949; as a consequence, 86% of its membership were now members of the rulingSocialist Unity Party of Germany.[5]
It was formally referred to as theDeutsche Volkspolizei ("German People's Police") from May 1949 onward, three months before the GDR's founding.[3]
TheVolkspolizei was dissolved duringGerman reunification in 1990, and was superseded by theBundespolizei of theFederal Republic of Germany and theLandespolizei of thereconstituted states ofSaxony,Thuringia [de],Saxony-Anhalt,Brandenburg,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [de] andBerlin.
With the founding of the GDR in 1949, theVolkspolizei was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior.[6] TheVolkspolizei was divided into various individual branches and specialised forces:[7]
In addition to these units, theVolkspolizei also comprised the paramilitaryKasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP, people's police in barracks, similar to internal troops ofMVD), from which theNational People's Army (NVA) was formed in 1956.[7] Following this, theVolkspolizei-Bereitschaft became the main paramilitary riot and anti-insurgency unit in the GDR.
(In 1955, the posts of Minister of the Interior and head of theVolkspolizei were combined into a single office.)
The function of the Volkspolizei changed over time. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, theVolkspolizei can be regarded as the nucleus of all other armed state institutions of theGDR.[9] It was the first institution of the East German state, from which other organisations such as theStasi and theNational People's Army originated, both at the institutional and personnel level.[9] Over time, however, it increasingly became but one agency within theGDR's extensive security bureaucracy.[10]
In terms of general policing duties, theVolkspolizei dealt with criminal activity as conventionally understood, such as theft, murder, and so on, but also performed duties including border protection, passport and identity controls, transport control, and the protection of sensitive buildings and areas, each of which were carried out by specialised departments.[7] A critical part of theVolkspolizei was its grass-roots policing, introduced from 1952, whereby everyGDR citizen had their own "section commissioner" (Abschnittsbevollmächtigte, ABV).[11] Within their section, the ABV was responsible for all policing affairs regardless of branch or speciality in that area; in total, approximately 5,000 ABV positions were created all over the republic in order to cover an average of 4,000 inhabitants per section.[11] Following theEast German uprising of 1953, the number of sections and ABVs almost doubled.[12] The purpose of the ABV was to establish and cultivate a "close connection" with their section's population, in order to fulfil conventional policing duties, as well as enable the party to penetrate society at the very moment of the construction of socialism through state power.[13]
Police functions were also extended beyond the official, paid forces through organisations such asCombat Groups of the Working Class (Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse, KdA), organised units within factories and workplaces numbering around 400,000.[7]
The effectiveness of theVolkspolizei was questioned following the Uprising of 1953. The leaders of the SED and theVolkspolizei interpreted the response by theGDR's security apparatus as a debacle.[14] Police stations and court houses were attacked, and throughout the disturbances sections of theVolkspolizei were effectively paralysed, with some personnel even joining the protesters.[15] A central party report on 18 June 1953 concluded that: "A stop must be put to the general phenomenon on 17 June, that people merely observed, withdrew, or allowed themselves to be ignored or disarmed."[16] This failure byVolkspolizei personnel to engage in the confrontation was another serious concern.[17]
In response to the failings of the police response greater coordination between the Stasi, theVolkspolizei and the National People's Army was implemented.[18] All three organisations cooperated under the local, regional, and central leaderships of the party, under the overall control of the National Defence Council.[7] The failure by different agencies to cooperate was believed to have been partly responsible for the escalation of the June Uprising.[18] In response, therefore, more effective coordination was instituted to ensure the rapid suppression of potential unrest and in moments of crisis, such as during August 1961 and August 1968.[18] The efficiency of these forces and the close cooperation between state and party organs was a key factor in maintaining the outward semblance of stability from 1953 to 1989.[18]
Recruitment to the Volkspolizei required at least ten years of education, vocational training (seeeducation in East Germany), military service, and a history of political loyalty.
Upon joining, a recruit would take a five-month course at the Police Academy (VP-Schule). The schedule contained political education, police law, criminal law and procedures, and military-style fitness training. Afterwards the recruit completed a 6-month practicalinternship.
The reasonsVolkspolizei officers gave for joining the force were a desire to work with people,idealism,family tradition, belief inthe system and the wish to serve one's country.
From 1962, theVolkspolizei had its own school in Berlin-Biesdorf which trained around 3,500 officers up to 1989. There were several other schools. TheKasernierten Einheiten (barracks units) had their own training facilities. Officers were initially trained in the army ground forces, from 1963 at the Officers' school and from 1971 to the officers' school in Dresden-Wilder Mann:
TheVolkspolizei had approximately 80,000 full-time police officers and 177,500 volunteers.
With the accession of East Germany to theFederal Republic on 3 October 1990, authority over the police went to the newly created federal jurisdiction. About forty percent of theVolkspolizei employees had to leave the service.
The official oath that allVolkspolizei officers swore was:[19]
Ich schwöre
meinem sozialistischen Vaterland, der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik und ihrer Regierung allzeit treu ergeben zu sein, Dienst- und Staatsgeheimnisse zu wahren und die Gesetze und Weisungen genau einzuhalten.
Ich werde unentwegt danach streben, gewissenhaft, ehrlich, mutig, diszipliniert und wachsam meine Dienstpflichten zu erfüllen.
Ich schwöre,
daß ich, ohne meine Kräfte zu schonen, auch unter Einsatz meines Lebens, die sozialistische Gesellschafts-, Staats- und Rechtsordnung, das sozialistische Eigentum, die Persönlichkeit, die Rechte und das persönliche Eigentum der Bürger vor verbrecherischen Anschlägen schützen werde.
Sollte ich dennoch diesen meinen feierlichen Eid brechen, so möge mich die Strafe der Gesetze unserer Republik treffen.
I swear,
to be loyal to my socialist fatherland, the German Democratic Republic and its government at all times, to keep official and state secrets, and to strictly obey laws and instructions.
I will unswervingly strive to fulfill my official duties conscientiously, honestly, courageously, vigilantly and with discipline.
I swear,
that I will, without reservation, under risk of my life protect the socialist social, state and legal order, the socialist property, the personality, the rights and the personal property of the citizens against felonious attacks.
If I nevertheless break this, my solemn oath, I shall be confronted with the punishment of the laws of our republic.
With the exception of theKasernierte Volkspolizei, whose grey-green uniforms follow the style of the East GermanNational People’s Army (Nationale Volksarmee - NVA), allVolkspolizei services wore the same basic uniform adopted in 1956 when it was officially established. There were various kinds of uniforms, worn according to the work or social situation and differing in material for summer or winter wear. Most uniforms — service, semi-dress, and parade — are gray-green but the transport police wore dark blue. The better quality and texture of the cloth in officers' uniforms distinguished them from the uniforms of enlisted personnel. The field and service uniforms became normal attire in garrison and for most other duty activities.
The basic categories of uniforms were field, service, semi-dress, and parade.
Field uniforms (Felddienstuniform) were for only theKasernierte Volkspolizei. The field uniform consisted of the NVA's service uniform. The uniform was worn with a field cap, service cap, or steel helmet; high black boots; and a leather belt with vertical web shoulder suspenders. In the winter, a quilted stone-grey padded suit without a camouflage pattern is worn over the service uniform. The winter uniform also includes a fur pile cap or a steel helmet, boots, knitted grey gloves, belt, and suspenders.
The service uniform (Dienstuniform) was a summer service uniform for officers with a bloused jacket, worn without a shirt, trousers, and a visored service cap, worn by allVolkspolizei members except for theKasernierte, along with theAusgangsuniform. The winter service uniform version featured a jacket that had four large patch pockets with button-down tabs, worn with a black belt, the service cap, breeches, shirt, tie, belt, and high boots are provided for officers and NCOs. Enlisted and NCO caps had green piping, but Officer caps had silver piping for junior to mid-level officers and gold piping for senior officers. For winter, a long, heavy, belted overcoat was worn.
The semi-dress uniform (Ausgangsuniform), except in details, was the same for all ranks and was worn on off-duty or off-post occasions. It included the service cap, jacket, long trousers, and black low-quarter shoes. The single-breasted jacket was worn without a belt, with a white or grey-green shirt and a green tie. Officers were allowed to wear the jacket with a white shirt. During periods of warm summer weather, either the shirt and tie or the jacket may be omitted. For a while a double-breasted jacket could be worn as optional wear by officers and warrant officers.
The parade uniform (Paradeuniform) for officers was the semi-dress jacket worn with all awards and decorations, breeches and riding boots, steel helmet or policeshako (Tschako) from 1950 to the late 1960s, white shirt, green neck-tie, and a ceremonial dagger on the left side, fastened to a silver-grey parade belt. Officers in guards of honour carry sabres. In winter, overcoat, scarf, and gloves were worn.
The type of work uniform (Arbeitsuniform) worn was governed by seasonal considerations and weather. Generally, reconditioned items of service clothing; field, semi-dress and winter padded uniforms; some dyed black, were issued for all types of fatigue and maintenance details. Coveralls are also used by the lower ranks, especially heavy vehicle and flying personnel. Officers in technical branches supervising fatigue details wear a laboratory-style smock.
Other types ofVolkspolizei uniforms existed. High-ranking officers occasionally wore white uniforms, or at least a white jacket similar to those worn by Generals in theNational People's Army, and staff officers were supplied with staff service uniforms. Women had their own uniforms consisting of jackets, skirts or slacks, blouses, caps, boots or pumps, and other appropriate items in accordance with the season and the occasion. Traffic police, motorcyclists, armoured vehicle personnel, and others have special items of apparel.
Volkspolizei uniform initially had greenwaffenfarben, but later reverted to white except for the transport police who wore blue. The uniform of the KasernierteVolkspolizei is distinguished from that of the NVA ground force and Air Defence Force by a green armband with large silver letters identifying the wearer's affiliation.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Volkspolizei Insignia (1949–1954) |  |  | .jpg) | | | | | | | | |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
> Volkspolizei Insignia (1954–1990) | | |  | | | | | | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title (1949–1957) | Chef der Deutschen Volkspolizei Chief of the German People's Police | Generalinspekteur Inspector General | Chefinspekteur Chief Inspector | Inspekteur Inspector | Kommandeur Commander | Oberrat Senior Councilor | Rat Councilor | Hauptkommissar HeadCommissar | Oberkommissar Senior Commissar | Kommissar Commissar | Unterkommissar[note 1] Junior Commissar | Offiziersschüler Student Officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title (1957–1990) | Armeegeneral der VP[note 2] | Generaloberst der VP | Generalleutnant der VP | Generalmajor der VP | Oberst der VP | Oberstleutnant der VP | Major der VP | Hauptmann der VP | Oberleutnant der VP | Leutnant der VP | Unterleutnant der VP | Offiziersschüler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volkspolizei |  |  | _1990.png) | _1990.png) | _1990.png) | _1990.png) | _1990.png) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Obermeister der VP Senior Master of the VP | Meister der VP Master of the VP | Hauptwachtmeister der VP MainWatch Master of the VP | Oberwachtmeister der VP Senior Watch Master of the VP | Wachtmeister der VP Watch Master of the VP | Unterwachtmeister der VP[note 3] Junior Watch Master of the VP | Anwärter der VP Candidate of the VP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patrol cars and vans driven by the Volkspolizei were painted with the colors white on the top and green on the bottom with the insignia of the Volkspolizei on either side, and or on the hood.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Country Studies.Federal Research Division.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Country Studies.Federal Research Division.
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