Who was Paul Wieczorek?

To many western observers the names bestowed upon Nationale Volksarmee combat units in the German Democratic Republic are but enigmas lost to history. East German military traditions and heritage often centered around figures of cultural significance and particular interest to the 'people's struggle' towards the progression of the communist movement. One of the most famous of the East German military units with a named title is the 40. Fallschirmjägerbatallion which was granted the title of 'Willi Sänger' after the pro-communist resistance fighter who was executed by the Nazis in the latter years of the Second World War. When the Soviet authorities took over administration of the eastern zone of Germany after the cease of hostilities the use of German communists and others sympathetic to the struggle of communism was seen as a way to allow the German people to embrace the struggles of communism and the exploits of their own people.

Paul Wieczorek, was another famous figure of East German military tradition. Paul Wieczorek was born in the largely protestant city of Bromberg in Prussia on 15 July 1885. In 1904, he and his family relocated from Bromberg to Berlin. After completing his schooling, he took up an apprenticeship in metalurgy becoming a metal worker. By 1903, he enlisted in the Kaiserliche Marine or 'Imperial Navy' of the German Empire. He would serve in the Imperial Navy until 1906, serving among other assignments aboard the light cruiser Medusa. Following his brief military service, Wieczorek found employment as a bus driver for the German company Allgemeine Berliner Omnibus AG. It was around this time that he became introduced to the teachings of Karl Marx and communism and become a member of the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands 'Social Democratic Party of Germany' or SPD.

With the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serb nationalist and the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, Wieczorek was reinstated into the Kaiserliche Marine at the rank of Maat or Petty Officer aboard a minesweeper. Now a committed communist, Wieczorek was reprimanded numerous times by his superiors for insubordination and military disobedience. With the emergence of a new form of warfare, and the advances taken in military aviation, Wieczorek volunteered to become an aircraft mechanic in the fledgling Marineflieger of the Imperial German Navy. Following receiving flight training, he was assigned to a military air station located at Tonder near the border with Denmark. Here he was involved in a plane crash and following a period of recovery, he was reassigned to the Marine-Landfliegerabteilung 'Naval Land Flying Service' at  Johannisthal near Berlin. It would be here that he and a friend Fritz Radtke would organize workers of the Johannis Thaler Flugzeugwerke and spread the influence of communist works amongst fellow members of the naval aviation service and military air service.

By November of 1918, Germany was facing internal struggles and with the Kiel Mutiny of naval sailors in the Wilhelmshaven fleet an increasing wave of descent swept over the crews of several battleships of the High Seas Fleet. The Kiel Mutiny would become one of the factors leading to the November Revolution in 1918. Aligning himself with prominent Marxist and anti-militarist Karl Liebknecht, Wieczorek organized other mutineers and mounted an armed insurrection at the base in Johannisthal. On 9 November 1918, pro-communist sailors and naval aviators as well as members of the illegal Spartacus League seized control of the Flugplatz Johannisthal and arrested the base commander and the officers cadre. Following the completion of the seizure of the airbase, Wieczorek and his group began heading in the direction of Berlin to link up with Karl Liebknecht and his fellow group of communist supporters. Along the way to Berlin, the group encountered armed resistance from military forces loyal to Kaiser Wilhelm II particularly in the areas of Lower Schöneweide and Treptow. Many soon sided with the revolutionaries and large quantities of weapons and ammunition were turned over to the revolutionaries.

Records become scarce after this point but it was presumed that Wieczorek and his men participated in a clash and occupation of the Reichsmarineamtes 'Imperial Naval Office' in Berlin. By the evening of the 9th of November, Wieczorek, Radtke and Liebknecht linked up and and along with Heinrich Dorrenbach a fellow socialist revolutionary and an officer in the Imperial German military began drawing up plans for the organization of armed formations in Berlin. By the time of the armistice and cease of First World War hostilities on 11 November 1918, some 600 sailors that had aligned themselves with Wieczorek and Liebknecht were using the Berlin imperial stables as their headquarters and declared the organization of the Volksmarinerat von Groß-Berlin und Vororten 'People's Naval Council of Greater Berlin and Suburbs. They organized themselves into a group they called the Volksmarinedivison 'People's Navy Division' and declared Wieczorek as their Commander.

From its inception on 11 November 1918, things would begin to rapidly deteriorate for the Volksmarinedivison. In a coup of leadership, Paul Wieczorek was shot dead by Korvettenkapitän Friedrich Brettschneider in the Berlin imperial stables they declared their headquarters. Susequently two days later, Brettschneider himself was also found dead.  The November Revolution would ultimately fail when resistance was put down forcefully, however it would lead to the abdication of the throne of Germany, the abolishion of the monarchy and the transition to parliamentary democracy. Liebknecht would not fare any better suffering the same fate that befell many communist revolutionaries in Germany.  On 15 January 1919, Karl Liebknecht was found in his Berlin apartment and arrested being placed under the custody of the Garde-Kavallerie-Schützen-Division 'Guards Cavalry Rifle Division' of the Freikorps were he was interrogated, beaten and finally shot to death.

After the end of the Second World War, Soviet authorities in the eastern sector of Germany installed the pro-communist regime and began advocating the use of German communists amongst the new government to unite the people under their exploits. In 1985, the East German communist party authorized the formation of a naval aviation wing or Marinefliegergeschwader to be operated by the Volksmarine. Organized under the strictest orders of secrecy, the new unit was officially established on 27 November 1987 at Rostock-Laage. The unit was designated Marinefliegergeschwader 28 (MFG-28) and granted the title 'Paul Wieczorek' on 6 October 1989. 

Conrad Schumann: The Man Who Lept Into History

Many of the greatest events in world history are the result of seemingly insignificant acts that somehow forever alter the state of human affairs. It can also be proven looking throughout history that even though Generals and Commanders are given credit for victories, it is the enlisted man who actually fights to secure that victory. Their actions are rewarded through varying honors and citations for heroism or gallantry, but it is the General or Commander to whom the history books will record the victory in the name of. This same scenario goes for not only military engagements but also political statements in both war and peacetime. History knows it was Erich Honecker and Nikita Khrushchev who are responsible for initiating the order to begin the construction of the Berlin Wall around the allied occupied sector of Berlin. It is also recognized that Erich Honecker issued the order to shoot to kill persons trying to flee from the German Democratic Republic for freedom in West. But occasionally, there are certain everyday individuals whom in the face of increasing disagreement with policy or other acts will act on impulse and be forever etched into the face of history. One such case is that of Conrad Schumann.

Born Hans Conrad Schumann on 28 March 1942 in Zschochau, Sachsen, Germany, Conrad Schumann was young when the Second World War ended and Germany was divided up amongst the victorious allies. He would grow up in the Soviet occupied sector of eastern Germany which would later become the German Democratic Republic. He would go on to serve as a soldier in the Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften, the barracked paramilitary riot control police unit of the East German police. Following three months of training in Dresden, he was sent to a non commissioned officer's academy in Potsdam for advanced leadership. Shortly after the completion of the training academy, Schumann volunteered for service in Berlin. He would be given the rank of Sergeant.

At the time, Berlin was a hotspot of the Cold War. With allied military forces positioned in West Berlin deep inside the heart of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin would be potential ignition source for any future conflict in Europe. Citizens of the East German state were flooding into East Berlin hoping for the opportunity to escape to the West via defection into West Berlin. The so called 'Brain Drain' was severely damaging the East German economy as skilled craftsmen and laborers all fled to the relative freedom of the West. The decision was soon made by East German leaders with the approval of their Soviet allies to begin the construction of a protective barrier, a wall around the western sector of the city of Berlin to prevent further Republikflucht or 'Flight from the Republic'. The construction of the Berlin Wall would begin on 13 August 1961, with Soviet tanks and armored vehicles taking up positions at checkpoints and road crossings facing West as a deterrent while East German soldiers, policemen and laborers began stringing barbed wire and later began emplacing bricks for the Wall around the city. History would soon be made with a simple gesture which would begin in Soviet East Berlin and end in the French sector of West Berlin.

On 15 August 1961, Schumann was ordered to report to the corner of Ruppiner Straße and Bernauer Straße (Straße is the German word for Street) to stand guard during the third day of construction of the new Anti Fascist Protective Barrier as it was designated by the East German government. Schumann shouldered his MPi41 submachine gun, an East German variant of the Soviet PPSh-41 submachine gun and began his duty of standing guard along the low wire entanglement of barbed wire which comprised the Wall fortification. On the western side of the wire emplacement, citizens of West Berlin took notice of the young East German soldier standing his post. Soon, the West Berliners began shouting "Komm' rüber!" or "Come Over!" urging him to defect from the East German sector into the West. To assist in the escape, a West German police car pulled into position a short distance away and waited in case the young soldier chose to escape to freedom in the West.

With the large gathering of Western citizens, Schumann's colleagues were soon distracted by the commotion. Using this distraction to his advantage, the 19 year old Schumann, swapped his loaded submachine gun for an empty one and began contemplating his future. Hesitating momentarily, Schumann then began determined to defect to West Germany and sprinted, leaping over the barbed wire fence he ran into the back of the waiting police car and was hastily driven away from the scene by the West German police. Schumann's defection was captured on film in the form a series of images taken by photographer Peter Leibing and also his entire escape including his preparations for the defection attempt which were captured on 16mm film from the same vantage point. As he made his way to the waiting police car, he was greeted with a barrage of cheering West Germans welcoming him to the West. The images of the young East German fleeing into the West were broadcast around the world and became an iconic symbol of the Cold War, particularly the quest for freedom by the oppressed people of the East. In that instant he became both a hero of the Free World, and a traitor to his East German compatriots.

The next stop for the young non commissioned officer was a debriefing station operated by the West German police in West Berlin. A simple and modest fellow, rather than ask for some special item, favor or treatment, all Schumann asked the West Germans for was a sandwich. When inquiries began by the West Germans as to why he chose to defect to the West rather than to remain in East Germany, he replied that he was angered by a scene presented to him during his time guarding the new barrier areas. The scene he described as an East German child who had attempted to flee into West Berlin being dragged back into East German territory by border guards. He stated that he did not want to live enclosed like some caged animal.

He would later be permitted to leave West Berlin and he relocated to Bavaria in southern Germany. He would meet his wife Kunigunde in the town of Günzburg. Günzburg is notoriously known as the birthplace of infamous Nazi medical officer Dr. Josef Mengele. Conrad and Kunigunde would get married and they would have a son. Schumann would find work first working briefly as a nurse and at the Grombacher winery before landing a job working on an assembly line for the Audi automobile company. Although, Schumann had left the German Democratic Republic he had never truly escaped. It would be a mixture of the unwanted fame and attention that would drive him into a deep state of depression. For the first decade after his famed defection, he took to alcohol to comfort him. Not one dollar of the money made from his defection images would go to Schumann or his family and even though an iconic figure of western propaganda, government officials only showed interest in gathering information from him that he did not have. Schumann described the inquiries from the German government as making him feel as if he was being Squeezed like a lemon.

For a long time, the only contact he had with his family in East Germany were through letters which were being influenced by agents of the East German Stasi. As a defector, and traitor, he was a prime target for the East German secret police. His family tried to persuade him to return to East Germany promising that nothing would happen to him, a farce nonetheless dictated by the Stasi who wanted to apprehend Schumann for their own purposes. He began contemplating returning to East Germany for a visit, but this idea was only abandoned when a West German policeman persuaded him not to go back. Lonely, and depressed, Schumann declared there was only one point that he truly felt free and this was on 9 November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was torn down. It was only after this that Schumann was able to return to his native Sachsen. His return to his home had mixed results, as many people welcomed him and yet others shunned him labeling him as a traitor even though East Germany no longer existed.

With the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the communist East, Schumann was again thrust back into the spotlight as a national hero and he feigned happiness and adulation about his situation as he posed for pictures and signed posters and pictures. He made appearances at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in the years after reunification often signing pictures for tourists. His signed posters and pictures would become a best selling souvenir at the Museum and tourists regularly formed long queues for a chance to meet the young non commissioned officer who had defected to freedom during one of the high points of the Cold War.

Following returning home from a from a family rowing trip, on 20 June 1998 the weight of his depression proved to great for the Cold War icon and Schumann committed suicide. He hung himself in his orchard near the town of Kipfenberg where his wife Kunigunde would find him hours later. Described by his neighbors as a quiet man, all he had to show for the impact of his defection years ago was the portrait of his defection from East Germany hanging on a living room wall and a photograph of himself standing with American President Ronald Reagan.

Oberstleutnant Landstreitkräfte Gesellschaftsuniform - German Democratic Uniform

The uniform displayed here is the Gesselschaftsuniform the equivalent of a Mess Dress Uniform in western armies for an Oberstleutnant of the East German Landstreitkräfte. It would be worn at special social occasions such as balls, dinners or other occasions where social dress would be required or authorized. The uniform consists of a light greenish gray colored double breasted tunic with a four button configuration with the straight legged trousers issued to Nationale Volksarmee personnel. Officers of the Landstreitkräfte wore the stone grey trousers with a white stripe down the length of the leg. The uniform would also be worn with a white dress shirt, officer's visor cap and grey standard issue tie along with military issue dress shoes.

Like the General officer's versions, the Gesellschaftsanzug was worn in two configurations: Kleiner Gesellschaft in which only the officer's academy badge and ribbon bars are worn on the jacket or Großer Gesellschaft in which the officer would wear their full medals, shoulder aiguillette and presentation dagger. As with most officer's uniforms in East Germany, each officer's Gesellschaft tunic was often custom tailored for the wearer.

The picture here shows the Kragenspiegeln of a Landstreitkräfte officer. It is of the silver bar type which is standard to all officer uniforms of East Germany but with distinctive black backing of the East German Landstreitkräfte.

Here is a close up of the shoulderboard insignia of an Oberstleutnant. Again as a senior grade in the East German rank structure it consists of a silver braid with two four pointed gold stars against a black background which signifies the officer's affiliation to the Pioneretruppen which would be the Nationale Volksarmee equivalent of a western army's Engineer Corps.

The four button arrangement of the double breasted pattern of the Gesellschafts uniform tunic. The tunic has four outward buttons with a hidden button on the inside for securing the tunic. On the inside there is also a loop for mounting the hangers for wearing the officer's issued presentation dagger.

Displayed here is the stone gray issued service trousers worn with the Army Gesselschaft uniform. Usually unpiped, the white striping of the pants signifies wear by the Army and is restricted to staff service known as Stabsdienst use, Ausgangsuniformen 'Walking-out Dress Uniform' wear, and Social Occasions wihen they would be worn with the Gesellschaft tunic as displayed.

Oberstleutnant Landstreitkräfte Paraden/Dienstuniform - German Democratic Uniform

The uniform displayed here shows the Paradenuniform or Parade Uniform of a Oberstleutnant in the Landstreitkräfte's Mot.-Schützen, or Motorisierte-Schützen which translates into Motorized Infantry known in western armies as Mechanized Infantry. The uniform is made of the smooth gabardine material in the military stone grey color common of all East German military uniforms. When wearing the Paradenuniform, the steel East German M-56 Stahlhelm 'Steel Helmet' was worn instead of the round visor cap.

Shown here is the distinctive Kragenspiegeln 'Collar Insignia' of officers of the East German Landstreitkräfte. Landstreitkräfte collar insignia were essentially the same worn by soldiers of the former Wehrmacht with a distinct difference in that they were sewn to the grey uniform collar and they lacked waffenfarbe branch colors. 

  

Shown here is a close up of the shoulderboard epaulette insignia for an Oberstleutnant, the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in western armies. In the Landstreitkräfte, the rank of Oberstleutnant was the second highest ranking field grade for officers and consisted of silver braiding and two gold four pointed stars commonly referred to as 'pips'  against the white background of the Landstreitkräfte infantry service.

Worn on the right side of the Parade Uniform is the silver Achselschnür or Shoulder Cord which was  issued to all East German officers and worn primarily for ceremonial occasions such as Parades and on the Gesellschaftanzug uniform jacket. The elaborate braided silver shouldercords with pointed silver Metallspitzen or Metal tips on the aiguillettes were originally introduced into Landstreitkräfte service in 1976.

Also on the left side of the uniform, there were certain distinctions that may be worn, but most Nationale Volksarmee issued awards and decorations were worn on the right side of the uniform either in the form of ribbon bars or in the case of special ceremonies a medal bar of the wearer's medals sewn in order of precedence against a felt background which was then pinned to the uniform chest. 

Underneath the uniform tunic would be worn, the grey service shirt and a dark grey tie which in certain variations could be worn without the tunic. Other uniform variations authorized the wear of the service shirt without the tie, and others still authorized the wear of the tunic alone without shirt or tie underneath. 

Here is the officer's brocade belt with East German coat of arms on the ceremonial buckle. It was worn with the parade uniform and Gesellschaftanzug uniform. Attached to the belt was the hangers and Ehrendolch or Honor Dagger which was presented to each officer in the Nationale Volksarmee upon graduation from the respective service academy of the East German armed forces. 

Here's a close up of the ceremonial dagger hangers and the dagger in it's decorative metal sheath.

The intricate decorative engraving and raised East German coat of arms on the sheath of the Ehrendolch and the dagger itself as presented to each graduating officer. Every officer was responsible for the upkeep of their presented dagger and each one was individually numbered with a serial number engraved into the base of the blade where in mounted to the hilt.

The East German M-56 helmet was originally designed in 1942 as a replacement for the M1935/M1940 model Stahlhelm combat helmets in service with the Wehrmacht. The design was subsequently rejected for adoption by Adolf Hitler and never progressed remaining unused until the end of the war in 1945. By the 1950s, with the formal establishment of the German Democratic Republic a requirement for a new German helmet for use by the forces of the Volkspolizei and the Nationale Volksarmee soon arose. With the reinstatement of a new East German Army, it soon became realized that the reintroduction of the traditional Stahlhelm which was worn during the Second World War would not have been tolerated by East Germany's Soviet allies. The 1942 design was likely chosen because it was the most similar of all German designs to resemble the helmets in use by the Soviet armed forces, in particular the iconic SSh-40 design. In essence, the new M-56 helmet was so similar in appearance to the SSh-40 that some Western observers failed to realize its German origins altogether and assumed the East Germans had merely adopted a new  Soviet design.

The helmet was revolutionary for its design with a liner riveted into the steel shell and upon ballistic contact to the helmet, the steel shell was ripped away absorbing the force of the impacting projectile and leaving the wearer to reach some force of cover.

The Parade uniform would be worn with the unpiped riding breeches and the polished black jackboots when participating in special events such as the annual Ehrenparade 'Honor Parade' which celebrated the founding of East Germany and the May Day celerations which celebrated the triumphs of communism. These parades were often conducted in East Berlin before an audience of senior communist party officials including Erich Honecker, leader of the GDR and visiting dignitaries from other communist nations. These parades were modeled heavily on Soviet military parades which were conducted through Red Square in Moscow but with a distinctive Germanic twist. Soldiers maintained the traditional Prussian 'goosestep' straight legged march which was subsequently outlawed in West Germany for its affiliation to the previous regime.

The marching formations of the parades were usually performed accompanying the sounds of a special military band playing traditional marsches or marching songs written by famous German composers of the classical age ranging from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Ludwig van Beethoven.

With the Dienstuniform or Service Uniform variation, the straight legged pants with white piping of the Landstreitkräfte were worn in place of the ceremonial riding breeches and the M-56 steel helmet was replaced with the standard issue round visor service cap.

The visor cap shown here for a Landstreitkräfte officer in the stone grey color of National Volksarmee uniforms along with its associated white piping of the East German Ground Forces. It retains the East German national roundel in the center surrounded by a metal wreath insignia and officer's silver braiding cap cord around the base above the visor.

The Landstreitkräfte of the German Democratic Republic's Nationale Volksarmee was the principle land combat branch designated to protect East Germany's territorial integrity. The Landstreitkräfte itself was officially established in March 1956, from elements of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei which were formed in the post-war years to police the eastern territories under Soviet administration. The majority of the  Landstreitkräfte's equipment over the duration of its existence would be of Soviet design and origin and it's field units were organized along the lines of Soviet Motorized Infantry Divisions. In this respect forces of the  Landstreitkräfte also operated in close proximity to the Soviet Army's Group of Soviet Forces Germany or 'GSFG' which were positioned in Germany at the cease of hostilities in 1945 . The Kommando Landstreitkräfte or Land Forces Command was established in the city of Geltow in December of 1972 with Landstreitkräfte defensive zones being divided into two distinct military districts. These districts or Wehrbezirken were Military District North with its headquarters being located in Neubrandenburg and Military District South with its headquarters being located in Leipzig.

Throughout its existence Landstreitkräfte was never deployed in active combat however, it was often reported that it's personnel went to numerous socialist and communist nations as military and technical advisors, particularly Cuba and various countries in Africa. In 1968, the forces of the Landstreitkräfte were mobilized to assist Soviet forces in intervening during the Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia. The uprising occurred when reformist Alexander Dubček attempted to grant additional rights to the citizens of Czechoslovakia by acts of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. Soviet forces and their Warsaw Pact neighbors responded by invading the country, sending thousands of soldiers and tanks pouring across the border and seizing control of the country. The Landstreitkräfte was then essentially stood down and their deployment into Czechoslovakia cancelled at the last moment thus ending any East German involvement in the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

The Landstreitkräfte maintained a force of nearly 120,000 troops of which at any given time about  60% of which were draftees. It maintained two fully strengthed armored divisions, four motorized rifle infantry divisions, two surface-to-surface missile brigades, ten artillery regiments, one anti-aircraft regiment, eight air defense regiments, one airborne regiment, two anti-tank battalions, and various other support units.

The video clip shown here is taken from the German Democratic Republic's state television broadcast of the live coverage of the Ehrenparade celebrating the founding of East Germany in October of 1987. The parade was held in East Berlin, and as shown above you can see officers in Parade uniform performing the goose step march accompanied by the sounds of a military band as they make their way towards the review stand to pass before officials of the SED communist party including Party Secretary Erich Honecker and dignitaries of other communist nations.

Generalmajor Landstreitkräfte Gesellschaftanzug - German Democratic Republic

The uniform shown here is comprised of the Gesellschaft jacket and trousers. The Gesellschaftanzug or Social Dress was authorized for wear during formal or social occasions. The Gesellschaft uniform was worn by both officers & generals and was worn with white shirt, gray Nationale Volksarmee tie, the stone gray trousers with the red stripe or colored waffenfarben of the respective service branch, dress shoes and visor cap. The wear of the visor cap varied depending on the occasion or event attended by the General.

There were two basic ways of wearing the Gesellschaft uniform: the Kleiner Gesellschaftsanzug 'Lesser Social Dress Uniform' was a variant of the Gesellschaft uniform which was worn with ribbon bars and the officer's academy badge. The second variation of the Gesellschaft uniform was known as Grosser Gesellschaftsanzug or 'Greater Social Dress Uniform' which was worn with the four highest ranking medals, gold General's aguillette and General's parade dagger. The jacket itself was the same for both the Kleiner & Grosser Gesellschaftsanzug, only the accoutrements worn differed.  The Landstreitkräfte Generalmajor Gesellschaft jacket pictured here is outfitted for the Kleiner Gesellschaftsanzug. The tunic has a four button double breasted arrangement made with a very light gray colored material which was almost white in appearance. As in the case of many Generals and Admirals in the Nationale Volksarmee, each General's Gesellschaft uniform was completely custom tailored and made. It has the shoulder board insignia of a Generalmajor of the Landstreitkräfte similar to the insignia depicted on the previous Generalmajor Dienstuniform.

 The Generalmajor rank is denoted by a single five pointed silver star mounted on a gold and silver braided shoulder cord set against a bright red base. On the left of the jacket, a ribbon bar or medal bar would be worn each individually suited to the General officer wearing the uniform, with the cloth ribbons being assembled in the proper order of precedence and then stitched onto a cloth backing that matches the overall material of the jacket. The whole thing is then stitched down onto the surface of the jacket.

 The triangular shaped academy badge designates that the wearer was a graduate of one of East Germany's many service academies. The Nationale Volksarmee had a vast assortment of military academies with the Friedrich Engels Academy serving as East Germany's premier military academy. Although some graduates of the Friedrich Engels Academy did rise through  the ranks to attain the rank of the General officers, it was way more common to see East German general officers wearing Soviet academy badges as many were sent to the Soviet uniform for higher education.

The pants of the Gesellschaftanzug, which are generally the same stone gray trousers worn by National Volksarmee personnel with the red striping running along the length of the leg signifying the wearers status as a General officer. 

Generalmajor Landstreitkräfte Dienstuniform - German Democratic Republic

The uniform displayed here is the Dienstuniform or Service Uniform of a Generalmajor or ‘Major General’ of the East German Landstreitkräfte, the land forces of the East German armed forces. The rank of Generalmajor in eastern militaries is equivalent to that of an American one star Brigadier General or in British rank equivalents a Brigadier.  The uniform jacket is the standard stone grey color of all Nationale Volksarmee uniforms with the red colored piping of the shoulder insignia and collar bars known as kragenspielen denoting the wearer's affiliation as a General Officer of the East German armed forces. Generals in the East German armed forces were signified by the wearing of the color gold in their uniform insignias. Gold denoted a General, and silver a commissioned officer. The pants are also the standard stone gray color as well with the reflecting red striping running along the length of the pant leg.

As members of  the 'Parteiarmee" or Army of the Party tasked with defending the people and the Party, all officers were required to be members of the ruling SED communist party in East Germany. Political officers charged with indoctrination of the troops on subjects reflecting ideological, military, and global affairs formed an essential part of Nationale Volksarmee daily routine. These courses were known as Politische Hauptverwaltung or 'Political Main Administration'. Like the Communist parties of other allied socialist states, the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands  known in English as the 'Socialist Unity Party of Germany', or SED, assured complete control over the ranks by appointing loyal party members to top positions and organizing intensive political education for all ranks. The proportion of SED members in the officer corps rose steadily after the early 1960s, eventually reaching almost 95 percent of the total officer corps.

The tunic would be worn with a white dress shirt or standard grey issue service shirt along with a dark gray tie. During periods of warm weather, officers were presented the option of omitting the tunic, or in authorized adaptation omitting dress shirt and tie with only the jacket being worn over service trousers with the Dienstuniform.  The winter service uniform featured a tunic with four large buttoned-down patch pockets, a gold brockade belt, the service cap, riding breeches, shirt, tie, and pants belt along with high boots. A long, heavy, belted greatcoat was also part of the winter uniform.

The jacket also has a hidden loop on the interior lining for mounting the hangers for the General officer's parade dagger for certain events.

Here is a picture of the stone grey pants with the red General officer's striping along the leg.

The visor cap is made of the same gabardine material of all East German uniforms. Unlike West German uniforms denoting branch as the central insignia and then flanked by the national roundel, East German visor caps used the East German national insignia as the centerpiece with the national insignia of a hammer and compass surrounded by wreaths of wheat and German flags. Surrounding the roundel on this example are laurel wreaths and applied with a felt background against the face of the hat. This is unique to all General officer hats as other officers junior in rank wore silver metal insignia. Rather than wear wreaths on the visor like the West German's, East German officer's wore braided cords around the cap reminiscent of styles of previous German armies. The gold coloring of the braid and national insignia specify the wearers status as a General officer.

Shown here is the gold metal Kragenspiegeln or collar insignia of the General Officer Corps. They are nearly identical to the types of Kragenspiegeln worn by General officers of the earlier Nazi Wehrmacht of 1935 - 1945. The East German armed forces borrowed heavily from the previous regime in terms of uniform style and influence all while maintaining a sense of embracing Germanic tradition in the heavy usage of  the Prussian influence.

This picture depicts the shoulder board insignia of a Generalmajor of the Landstreitkräfte. The Generalmajor rank is denoted by a single five pointed silver star mounted on a gold and silver braided shoulder cord set against a bright red base. East German officer ranks were modelled heavily on the existing Soviet rank structure. In German military doctrine, the rank of Generalmajor was generally that awarded to a junior divisional commander.  

The picture shown here displays the intricate design of the  gold buttons of a General officer in the Nationale Volksarmee, bearing the national hammer and compass insignia of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik.  The Dienstuniform consisted primarily of a single breasted tunic with four buttons along the centerline and corresponding buttons mounted on the pockets.

A picture of the General Officer Corps red waffenfarbe stripe embroidered around the cuff of the uniform sleeve.

On the right side of the chest is an Academy badge denoting the officer school that the General attended. The Nationale Volksarmee maintained an extensive network of schools and academies focused on improving the technical expertise of its commissioned officers. One of the main areas of focus with increasing responsibility was increased focus on political reliability and the teachings of Karl Marx. Officers becoming Generals in the East German rank structure were often sent to educational institutions in the Soviet Union for enhanced training and language training to become fluent in the Soviet Cyrillic language.