The Volkspolizei or
'People's Police' sometimes referred to also as VoPo or VP, was the national
police force and principal law enforcement organ of the German Democratic
Republic. The Volkspolizei were responsible for most law enforcement activities
in East Germany, but its organization and structure were comprised as such that
it could be considered a quasi-military force as well. Unlike law enforcement
agencies in most western countries, the Volkspolizei were equipped with
equipment such as armored personnel carriers and artillery pieces and
Volkspolizei personnel were trained along the same lines as units of the
Nationale Volksarmee.
While any East German
citizen could become a non-commissioned officer in the Volkspolizei, all
members of the commissioned officer corps were required to be members of East
Germany's ruling communist authority the Sozialistische Einheitspartei
Deutschlands of 'Socialist Unity Party of Germany' often abbreviated as SED. The Volkspolizei, being the principal force
responsible for law and order in the declared Socialist Workers Paradise, was
expected to maintain and enfore the interests of the SED Communist Party, the
ruling regime as well as maintaining public order.
The Volkspolizei was
initially founded following the conclusion of World War II when the Soviet
occupational authorities took the East German remnants of the Nazi
Ordnungspolizei commonly referred to as the 'Orpo' and the Kriminalpolizei
referred to as the Kripo and reorganized them into a centralized agency that
would be politically reliable to the new communist authority. This was done
when the SMAD or Sowjetische Militäradministration in Deutschland ' Soviet
Military Administration in Germany established centralized police forces in the
regions of eastern Germany it occupied following the cease of hostilities. By
establishing these groups, the Soviets clearly were in violation of the agreements
at the Yalta Conference and Potsdam Conference during the final years of the
war. The SMAD officially approved the arming of these community-level police
forces on 31 October 1945.
From 1952, these
groups were reorganized along the existing Soviet police services with Section
Representatives or ' Abschnittsbevollmächtigte' being appointed for communities
and towns. Interested and concerned citizens could voluntary assist the
Volkspolizei as a 'Helfer der Volkspolizei' or Helper of the People's Police. The
Volkspolizei was placed under the control of East Germany's Ministry of the
Interior with a network of district authorities and district offices reporting
to the Chef der Deutschen Volkspolizei or 'Chief of the People's Police'.
Rather than the civil service status that West German police enjoyed, each
Volkspolizist had a personal contract with the East German government. The
monthly salary was usually above the average income of a regular citizen of the
German Democratic Republic. Officers in the Volkspolizei wore a system of rank
insignias similar to those worn by the Nationale Volksarmee.
Underneath the
centralized body of organization, the Volkspolizei was divided into five
branches of police services, each with its own specialized areas of operation.
These services were:
- Schutzpolizei - Service Police
- Verkehrspolizei - Traffic Police
- Wasserschutzpolizei - Water Police
- Kriminalpolizei - Prosecution Police
- Transportpolizei - Transportation Police
Following the
conclusion of an investigation, the Volkspolizei usually transferred most of
their reports to the notorious Ministry of State Security or 'Stasi'. Given the high density of informants working
for the Stasi in the German Demcratic Republic, especially in the armed forces,
meant that every police action and investigation could be monitored. Besides
the official Stasi liaison-officer in the Volkspolizei known as a
'Verbindungsoffizier', the Stasi had agents imbedded in nearly every police unit. The overall commander
was the First Deputy Minister of the Interior and Chief of Police known as the
'Erster Stellvertreter des Ministers und Chef der Deutschen Volkspolizei'. His
section was subdivided into five departments respective to the five branches of
service of the Volkspolizei organization:
- Hauptabteilung Kriminalpolizei - Criminal Investigation Department
- Hauptabteilung Schutzpolizei - Uniformed Police Department
- Hauptabteilung Transportpolizei - Railway Police Department
- Hauptabteilung Verkehrspolizei - Traffic Police Department
- Hauptabteilung Paß und Meldewesen - Registration Department
The militarized
organization of the Volkspolizei known as the Kasernierte Einheiten, was
administered by the Deputy Minister of the Interior and Chief of the
Administrative Center or Stellvertreter des Minister und Chef der
Hauptinspektion.
Recruitment into the
ranks of the Volkspolizei required at least ten years of education, some
established vocational training, military service, and a history of political
loyalty to the SED communist party. Upon joining the force, a recruit would
undertake a five month training and indoctrination course at the Police Academy
or Volkspolizei-Schule. The course schedules contained a curriculum of
political education and indoctrination, police law, criminal law and procedures,
and military style physical fitness training. Upon completion of this course,
the recruit would then complete a six month practical internship. From 1962,
the Volkspolizei had its own university located in Berlin-Biesdorf from which
around 3,500 police officers were trained up to end of the German Democratic
Republic in 1989. There were also several other technical schools utilized by
the Volkspolizei. The Kasernierten Einheiten, which were the barracked units
had their own independent training facilities. Volkspolizei officers were
initially trained alongside the Landstreitkräfte of the NVA. Then from 1963 to
1971 the officers were transitioned from the NVA schools to the Volkspolizei
officers' school in Dresden-Wilder Mann. Limited time soldiers and lower grade
leaders were trained in Leigau near Dresden up until the dissolution of the
GDR.
The reasons given by
many Volkspolizei officers for joining the force was a desire to work with
people, along with idealism, family tradition, belief in the communist system
and the wish to serve the German Democratic Republic.
The official oath
that all Volkspolizei officers swore was:
German:
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.
English:
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.
The Volkspolizei
maintained a force of approximately 80,000 full time police officers along with
nearly 177,500 volunteers. Each Volkspolizei precinct throughout the country
maintained a Hausbücher which essentially contained citizens personal
identification numbers. This database allowed the Volkspolizei and the Ministry
of State Security's agents to gain access to all the information they required
about every citizen in East Germany.
With the accession of
the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990,
authority over the law enforcement agencies went to the newly created federal
jurisdiction. About 40 percent of the Volkspolizei's employees had to leave the
service.
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