Frida Hockauf

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Frida Hockauf , née Kloß, (born September 24, 1903 in Reichenau , † January 30, 1974 in Zittau ) was a German weaver in the " VEB Mechanische Weberei Zittau", the largest weaving company in the GDR . It became known in the GDR through the obligation to over- fulfill the plan in September 1953 to provide more than 45 linear meters of fabric by the end of the year beyond its normal plan.

The so-called Frida-Hockauf-Method is named after her. With her much-quoted slogan "The way we work today, we will live tomorrow" , it was not possible in retrospect to clearly clarify whether it came from Hockauf itself or was only given to it.

Life

Frida Kloß grew up with nine siblings in a weaving family in Upper Lusatia in the city of Reichenau (now Polish: Bogatynia ). After elementary school she first worked as a maid and from 1921 as a weaver in Zittau. In 1922 she joined the SPD and the textile workers' association .

Between 1929 and 1935, Frida Hockauf and her husband, who was also a member of the SPD, were unemployed and the family lived on social support. During the National Socialist era , her husband was imprisoned for illegal social democratic activities.

From 1945 to 1951 she worked at the social welfare office of the city of Zittau and then switched back to the VEB Mechanische Weberei Zittau as a weaver.

Frida Hockauf became a member of the SED in 1946 , after her media-effective plan exceeded she was a member of the Volkskammer from 1954 to 1963 .

In 1963 Hockauf, who had not worked as a weaver since 1955, but as a clerk and representative for socialist competition in the same company, retired.

Over-fulfillment and reactions

After the workers' uprising of June 17, 1953 , the SED leadership looked for suitable workers as model objects in order to get the norms and socialist competition going again.

Frida Hockauf committed herself to weaving 10 meters in October, 15 meters in November and 20 meters in December, at a trade union conference of the mechanical weaving mill in Zittau on September 29, 1953, in excess of her personal plan. In an appeal of the day signed by her it was said: “The way we working people work today, our life will be tomorrow.” It was reported that she achieved her self-determined goal on December 10th through well-organized work and conscientious use of working hours . She was named as the initiator of the competition movement under the slogan: “The way we work today, we will live tomorrow”, but also as the initiator of the competition movement: “More, better and cheaper consumer goods”. The slogan “More, better and cheaper textiles for the people!” Is also reported. However, she had expressed herself similarly in her appeal.

Frida Hockauf's commitment was staged by the SED in a media-effective manner and used by the party and state leadership as an announcement of an economic miracle in the GDR due to socialist competition, which led to derision in the Federal Republic.

As early as 1954, the activist received the Hero of Labor award . However, Hockauf not only met with approval through the over-fulfillment of the plan . For example, she was insulted as a “breaker of norms” and “traitor to the workers” and her looms were partially subject to sabotage . She was also said to have benefits and privileges , which she never had.

A street in Zittau was named after her, Frida-Hockauf-Straße , today's Ziegelstraße .

Notes / individual evidence

  1. ↑ From the appeal of the weaver Frida Hockauf of September 29, 1953. Tribune October 1, 1953. In: Institute for Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee of the SED : History of the German Workers' Movement , Volume 7, From 1949 to 1955 . Author collective: Walter Ulbricht u. A., Dietz Verlag , Document 69, page 440 f.
  2. ↑ a b From the call of the weaver Frida Hockauf from September 29, 1953. Tribune October 1, 1953. In: Institute for Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee of the SED : History of the German Workers' Movement , Volume 7, From 1949 to 1955 . Author collective: Walter Ulbricht u. A., Dietz Verlag ; Part of image after page 224.
  3. ^ Museum for German History, Collective Walter Nimitz u. A., according to an outline of history in the workers' movement confirmed by the 2nd meeting of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in April 1963, 2nd amended edition, Dietz Verlag Berlin 1965, page 367
  4. ^ Uni Magdeburg.de, Uniarchiv, Chronik, Jahre DDR, 1953

literature

See also

Web links

Commons : Frida Hockauf  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Up, Frida
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kloß, Frida (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German weaver and activist, MdV (SED)
DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Reichenau
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 1974
Place of death Zittau