The SED and the Protestant Churches
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- Created on: 06-05-18 14:22
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- The SED and the Protestant Churches
- The SED and the Protestant Church
- Why did the SED not understand the church?
- The Stasi infiltrated the church but in the 1980s it still played a major role in leading opposition groups in the downfall of the GDR. The SED never learned that the church could not be controlled.
- It also failed to understand the religious power of the church and that people would disobey the states to follow the teachings of the church.
- The church would act to gain support for the popularity of Christianity not the state.
- The SED tried to harness the power of the church by offering concessions in terms of religious belief, which was tolerated in all 3 GDR constitutions, and expecting political loyalty to the regime as a result of this toleration with the veiled threat that dissent could threaten this tolerance.
- Why did the SED not understand the church?
- Religious Education
- Communists were determined to rid all elements of society of religion.
- From Jan 1951 religious children could face discrimination with over 300 expelled from school.
- In 1953 after de-Stalinisation the children were reinstated.
- Jugendweihe
- 1954 it was introduced as a secular alternative to confirmation. It was taken at 14 as a rite to childhood from adulthood.
- It was voluntary but it was expected that all children would take it – church protests were widespread and unexpected.
- However even despite protest by 1969 90% of teenagers had taken it as it was seen as necessary for education and career progression.
- Fall in Religious Participation
- Religious participation fell across Europe after the war. New residential areas tended to have no religious leadership or buildings.
- The young in particular were no longer affiliated to religious groups. However the state still wanted to control and make use of the church.
- Rapprochement
- In 1957 the Ministry of Church Affairs was formed in 1960 its name was name was changed to the Secretariat for Church Affairs but its aim was the same; to co-ordinate and direct church activities in the best interests of the state.
- Ulbricht announced that the church and statecould work together on social welfare.
- In 1967 Church and State celebrated 450 years of the Reformation with the SED highlighting its role as heir to progressive movements in History.
- The church however setup the Construction Force which was created for conscientious objectors who might refuse conscription.
- The church also tried to widen its appeal to the youth which conflicted with the FDJ.
- Co-operation 1969-78
- The church and state began to work closer together; community work,anti-nuclear movement, international recognition for the GDR and toleration of and co-operation with the churches was in keeping with Ostpolitik.
- Some individual pastors did not co-operate with the state and preached anti-communist ideas.
- Many churches also reached out to those in society such as drug takers and the homeless who the SED did not want to recognise they existed in socialist society.
- Compromise 1978-89
- In March 1978 Honecker met with the Church and they agreed the 1978 CONCORDAT – the church could build new places of worship in residential areas and they were allowed more media time.
- This was mainly funded by the FRG. The SED realised the church was not going to disappear and the SED could try and use the church to increase their support.
- The church needed to show their willingness and they cooperated which made the discrimination against them even more difficult to understand.
- The security forces still did not trust the church; the department for church affairs employed 223 IMs.
- The church was divided in its response to the state; some supported the Concordat others began to lead opposition groups.
- Antagonism 1945-69
- The Communists could not openly attack the church; the Protestant church had 15 million member and the Catholic church had 1 million out of a population of 17 million
- the churches had spoken out against Nazism and in concentrations camps many communists prisoners had got to know and respect religious fellow inmates.
- The first decade post-war was a period of hostility, the so-called KIRCHENKAMPF or battle against the Churches.
- The SED and the Protestant Church
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