German administration of the interior

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The German Administration of the Interior (DVdI) was an existing authority in the Soviet Occupation Zone (SBZ). It existed from 1946 until the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was founded in 1949.

The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD) formed the "German Administration of the Interior (DVdI)" on July 30, 1946 to coordinate police work in the Soviet Zone . She appointed the previous state police chief of Thuringia, Erich Reschke , who had been a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) since 1946 , previously the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), as president of the DVdI . His deputies were Kurt Wagner (SED, previously KPD), responsible for the protection, criminal and water protection and fire protection police, Erich Mielke (SED, previously KPD), responsible for personnel issues, and Willi Seifert (SED, previously KPD) , responsible for administration and organization. The DVdI's task was “... the general safeguarding of revolutionary achievements. This included the further expansion and political strengthening of the police forces as well as securing the zone borders; the vigorous fight against subversive activity, economic sabotage, smugglers and black marketeers; and last but not least the systematic training of all employees of the German Interior Administration and all employees of the state administration "

In December 1948, the SED leadership around Wilhelm Pieck (previously KPD) and Walter Ulbricht (previously KPD) applied to Josef Stalin in Moscow to set up a secret security apparatus in the Soviet Zone. After Stalin had given approval in May 1949, the “Committee for the Protection of Public Property” was formed as a forerunner of the later main administration for the protection of the national economy , headed by Erich Mielke. On July 11, 1948, SMAD had Erich Reschke replaced as President of the DVdI by Kurt Fischer (SED, previously KPD). Also in 1948, various institutions of the SBZ were linked centrally to the DVdI. This also includes the German border police , which was previously subordinate to the DVdI under Josef Schütz (SED, previously KPD) in the countries of the main border police department .

When the GDR was founded on October 7, 1949, the newly created Ministry of the Interior (MdI) took over the functions previously carried out by the DVdI in the previous Soviet Zone. The MdI had the central management tasks in ensuring public order and security, internal security and border security in the republic, as well as protecting the GDR's economy. Karl Steinhoff (SED, previously KPD) became minister .

On February 8, 1950, the main administration for the protection of the national economy was separated from the MdI and transformed into the Ministry for State Security . The first minister was Wilhelm Zaisser (SED, previously KPD), Erich Mielke acted as State Secretary.

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  1. ↑ Helene Fiedler: SED and state power. On the state-political conception and activities of the SED 1946–1948. Berlin (East) 1974.
  2. ^ Jens Gieseke : Ministry for State Security (1950–1990). In: Torsten Diedrich : In the service of the party. Handbook of the armed organs of the GDR . Links, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-86153-160-7 , p. 374.