Heinz Bormann (fashion designer)

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Heinz Bormann (born July 19, 1918 in Erfurt ; † February 8, 1989 in Schönebeck (Elbe) ) was a prominent East German fashion designer of the “Original Bormann clothing” / “Original Bormann fashion” brand and textile manufacturer . He was known as the Christian Dior of the GDR. In 1965 Der Spiegel called him “Red Dior”.

Bormann's professional life was exemplary for a certain development in the economic history of the GDR - from the toleration of purely private companies to state participation in private companies within the framework of limited partnerships to the abolition of this mixed form of ownership and its conversion into state- owned companies (VEB).

The private company

Heinz Bormann returned from the war in July 1945 . His father-in-law's small clothing shop in Schönebeck near Magdeburg was destroyed. Bormann had no professional training, but his wife was a master of tailoring. With eleven old sewing machines, salvaged from the rubble, the couple began their independent activity - uniforms were repaired for the Red Army , the military power in Germany's Soviet occupation zone . In autumn 1945 the Heinz Bormann clothing workshops were founded, after the army orders the production of men's outerwear began.

The existence of purely private companies was initially not an exception in East Germany, even after the GDR was founded in 1949. In 1951, self-employed garment manufacturers accounted for almost 50 percent of gross production in their economic sector. The emphasis here only gradually shifted compared to the state-owned clothing industry - in 1957 the private sector was still producing almost 40 percent of the total. Both economic forms were in competition with each other, both had to cope with the same systemic difficulties: quality deficiencies and missed deadlines at the suppliers of fabrics and yarns, productivity losses due to so-called "social work", high sick leave, shortage of workers. The latter problem, however, did not exist with Bormann - here “ people were queuing in front of the personnel office ”, as a former employee recalls.

Heinz Bormann managed to come to terms with the special conditions of the socialist planned economy . He joined the Society for German-Soviet Friendship at an early age and had been a member of the National Democratic Party of Germany (NDPD) since 1949 , one of the so-called block parties that accepted certain groups in society, but had no political options of their own under the rule of the SED . - The nationwide unrest of June 17, 1953 , triggered by the drastic increase in labor standards , had its deeper cause in the resentment of the population about the inadequate supply of consumer goods, such as beautiful and affordable clothing. The political leadership reacted with economic relief for the manufacturers of such goods. In the same year, Bormann switched the production of his company, from now on pleasant women's outerwear was manufactured. His designer Helena Zeilhofer (then Pätsch), a young graduate of the Munich fashion school, designed the first collection of the original Bormann fashions , which immediately caused a sensation at the 1954 fashion fair in Düsseldorf. The West German press found a concise label for the entrepreneur: " The red Dior ".

The limited partnership

Since 1956 the management of the GDR placed increasing value on state participation in private companies. The limited partnership was chosen as the type of company; the state side was initially represented by capital contributions from the German Investment Bank (DIB). Bormann immediately applied for such a participation, and although the responsible tax authorities found his management “ not always transparent ”, they approved the process because of the “ economic importance of the company and the prospects for export ”. Bormann used the inflow of capital for expansion . He expanded production capacities , founded a branch in Magdeburg in October 1956 and relocated the company's headquarters there three years later. His actual destination was the traditional fashion center Berlin .

The next step in the state's influence was to propose a state-owned clothing industry company as a shareholder to the limited partnerships instead of the DIB. Some entrepreneurs refused to have a competitor in-house as a financier. Bormann did not hesitate, but agreed to take up VEB Treffmodelle as a state partner on July 1, 1959 , a manufacturer of women's fashion and part of what would later become the VEB Progress Combine in Berlin-Lichtenberg . The cooperation with the financially strong company, which is well known in the GDR, gave Bormann insights into larger business management contexts and new technological developments, especially since the state-owned companies were legally obliged to support their private partners in an ordinance on the formation of semi-state companies of March 1959; but also to influence the “ development of the socialist consciousness of the working people and the leaders ” of the KG.

In principle, the scope for private, entrepreneurial decisions had become narrower, especially in the case of larger investments . On the other hand, the state economic planners promised a lot from Heinz Bormann KG , which had grown into an economically interesting size thanks to its own initiative and state capital contributions . The export to the Soviet Union and various western countries brought prestige and foreign exchange (West German buyers such as Neckermann and Quelle expressly did not have the labels with the name Bormann sewn on), the now more demanding local population should be supplied in special shops, forerunners of the Exquisit stores. So the entrepreneur was granted generous loans and further capital contributions.

Bormann was now at the height of his career. Annual production reached 140,000 garments, plus the exclusive models that Lotte Ulbricht , the wife of the General Secretary of the SED and chairman of the State Council , also dressed in. Bormann's personal annual income rose to 80,000 marks net, making him one of the top earners in the GDR. The Magdeburg company presented its fashion many times at international trade fairs. In Germany, the fashion shows of Heinz Bormann KG were and remained popular social events on various occasions and in many places in the GDR. Bormann moderated it himself and obviously with great pleasure. These events did not produce any profits - the subsequent sales were usually slow; in addition, Bormann charged a fee for his appearances which, at 300 marks, was twice as high as the remuneration for professional announcers.

Not even for the DEFA film With me, madam! Bormann was allowed to design the costumes in 1969.

Heinz Bormann enjoyed a special reputation in Magdeburg. When there was a lack of qualified workers after the company was relocated, special trains brought the seamstresses from Schönebeck to the city. The first secretary of the SED district management suggested setting up an attractive fashion salon in the representatively restored city center. Bormann planned a studio with two masters and 15 tailors and even wanted to bring out his own perfume . In advance adaptation, however, he also let it be known that he wanted to “ provide fashion advice to the Magdeburg population ” in his salon . The lofty plans could not be realized. Forecasts about profitability for the first few years were sobering, no one was prepared to take on the financial risks. This time, the director of the state shareholder refused to accept a loan - on the grounds that “the establishment of a fashion salon is no longer considered expedient. In the course of the comprehensive construction of socialism, all efforts must be concentrated on production that meets demand. "

In the leadership circles of the SED and the economy, the tolerant attitude towards the semi-state enterprises had long been controversial. Walter Ulbricht had clearly endorsed it, now the opponents were stirring too. At the meeting of the Central Committee of the SED in June 1970, the achievements of the limited partnerships were recognized, but their private partners were heavily criticized for their above-average income and their sometimes luxurious lifestyle. A shareholders' meeting in December 1970 also made the new course clear for Bormann: the combine director of VEB Progress demanded decidedly greater efficiency in production and strict cost control at the fashion shows. Bormann saw his freedom as a fashion designer endangered, but did not get through with his objections. At the beginning of 1971 his company was examined by the so-called product group , a committee of state-commissioned specialists, which objected to the relatively high proportion of manual labor in the work processes (“ it is not known that skirt hems are still sewn in VE companies” ) and further rationalization strongly recommended. Bormann evidently did not interpret these events as a serious threat to his professional status, especially since he was first invited to the diplomatic hunt for deer in January 1971 - usually a recognition for special merits.

In the spring of 1971, with the shift in positions of power in the party and state apparatus from Walter Ulbricht to Erich Honecker , a significant change in economic policy began. On November 24, 1971, the responsible director of the combine held a two-hour discussion with Heinz Bormann. The file noted that the director had criticized his interlocutor harshly and uncompromisingly, mainly because of failure to rationalize, poor bookkeeping and insufficient cooperation. He vigorously rejected Bormann's attempts at a new production facility in Berlin and made it clear "that the fashion house is based in Magdeburg and that I will never agree to an expansion into the territory of Berlin" . At the meeting of the Central Committee of the SED on December 17, 1971, Honecker then declared that they wanted to “clarify whether we should stop certain phenomena of recapitalization in our republic or whether this development should continue as before.” With this only rhetorical The opponents of the previous policy had finally prevailed.

Nationalization and end of the company

In the weeks that followed, after the SED, all other parties, including the NDPD, to which Bormann was a member, expressed their support for full nationalization - although the economic data spoke against it. The Bormann KG for example, had recorded since 1956 ever-increasing number of employees and turnover. Now, like other successful semi-public companies, it appeared on a first list of 50 candidates for conversion into state-owned companies. The SED Politburo made the relevant decision on February 8, 1972, and implementation was then a matter for the economic councils in the individual districts of the GDR.

In the Magdeburg district, the celebrity Heinz Bormann was chosen as the figurehead for the new course. He had already proven his adaptability and should now act as a positive example to hesitant entrepreneurs. In fact, other private shareholders had declared that they would make their approval dependent on Bormann's attitude. He quickly accepted the new situation, and a reporter from the Economic Council said that Bormann “attaches importance not to attract attention” . He was still negotiating about the financial security of his family, the continuation of the fashion shows and the existence of his trademark and already signed his "declaration of readiness" on March 8, 1972. He also gave the consent to publish this declaration - not all those concerned were ready:

“I was one of the first private entrepreneurs to take up state participation in 1956, and thanks to the development and support of our state and the party of the working class, I have generously developed our company into one of the leading fashion houses in our republic. Today I decided to make my contribution to the further development of socialism in our German Democratic Republic by submitting an application to the state to pay out my private share in order to transfer the company into public ownership. "

- Heinz Bormann, February 28, 1972

As the first limited partnership in the GDR territory, Bormann's company was fully nationalized and re-established for legal reasons on March 27, 1972 under the name VEB Magdeburger Damenmoden (abbreviation “Magda”). Heinz Bormann managed the company until December 1974 - now as an employee - and then retired due to a serious illness. His son Reinhard had studied fashion design in Berlin with the aim of taking over his father's business one day. However, he was not considered as a successor. - After all limited partnerships were nationalized, 23 of the former private partners were decorated with the GDR Patriotic Order of Merit - Heinz Bormann was not one of them.

In the commercial register of the Magdeburg City Council, District Court Department A, volume 41 with the date May 30, 1973 contains the following entry: "Heinz Bormann Bekleidungswerkstätten KG: According to the central stipulations (conversion into public property) the company has expired."

Conclusion

With the example set for Heinz Bormann, the GDR heads of state achieved a Pyrrhic victory : They successfully enforced the complete expropriation of a successful commercial enterprise - and at the same time drained one of their important sources, from which considerable foreign currency income flowed into the GDR household budget for many years .

See also

Parallels for such a lasting, economically damaging, ideological and state directional action can be seen when looking at the history of the renowned Schilling bell foundry in Apolda from 1972 .

DEFA films

The Bormann company was a topic in a DEFA weekly newsreel “Eyewitness” in the spring of 1955.

In 1965 a DEFA documentary film was made about "Original Bormann Clothing", which was shown on the anniversary of the GDR and was intended to demonstrate the possibilities of private initiative in the planned economy.

In 1969, Bormann was commissioned by DEFA to produce the film “ Not with me, Madam! “Equip with costumes.

Private

After the nationalization, the Bormann family tried a new beginning. She submitted an application to open her own fashion boutique in Magdeburg. The applicants were Johanna Bormann and the eldest son Reinhard Bormann. But the council of the district refused. The family filed an objection and fought until 1983. Then the eldest son submitted an application to leave the Federal Republic of Germany . His two younger brothers also went west with their families.

The married couple Heinz and Johanna Bormann have four sons. Johanna Bormann died on December 1, 1984 at the age of 61, Heinz Bormann at the age of 71 on February 8, 1989, also of cancer.

The youngest son lives and works to this day (as of June 2020) in Schönebeck.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://journalistinnenbuero-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Der-Dior-der-DDR.pdf , page 29, accessed on June 13, 2020
  2. ↑ https://www.mz-web.de/salzlandkreis/der-dior-der-ddr-wie-aus-einer-kleinen-naeherei-die-wichtigste-modefirma-im-osten-wurde-32701828 , accessed on 13 June 2020
  3. ↑ https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46274635.html
  4. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: " were people queuing in front of the personnel office "@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.mdr.de
  5. ↑ "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 43 [cf. Web link].
  6. ↑ "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 45
  7. ↑ Not with me, madam! in the Internet Movie Database . The second film named Captain Florian von der Mühle at IMDb for Bormann was probably designed by the illustrator Heinz Bormann (1926–1974) instead .
  8. ↑ "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 46
  9. ↑ "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 47
  10. ↑ a b "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 49
  11. ↑ “Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR” by Ulrike Köpp, published in “UTOPIE Kreativ”, a publication by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 50
  12. ^ "Heinz Bormann - the Dior of the GDR" by Ulrike Köpp, published in "UTOPIE Kreativ", a publication of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation , issue 123 (January 2001), p. 51
  13. ↑ Ulrike Köpp: Heinz Bormann - der Dior of the GDR , page 51, there cited from footnote 26, accessed on June 13, 2020
  14. ↑ http://journalistinnenbuero-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Der-Dior-der-DDR.pdf , page 31, accessed on June 13, 2020
  15. ↑ http://journalistinnenbuero-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Der-Dior-der-DDR.pdf , page 7, accessed on June 13, 2020
  16. ↑ http://journalistinnenbuero-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Der-Dior-der-DDR.pdf , page 23, accessed on June 13, 2020
  17. ↑ https://www.volksstimme.de/lokal/schoenebeck/schau-film-filmstar-bormann-mode , accessed on June 13, 2020
  18. ↑ http://defa-filmfreund.de/Filmkostueme/ , accessed on June 13, 2020
  19. ↑ http://journalistinnenbuero-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Der-Dior-der-DDR.pdf , pages 30–31, accessed on June 13, 2020
  20. ↑ https://www.optik-bormann.de/impressummenue/impressum.html , accessed on June 13, 2020

literature

  • Christian Heimann: System-related causes of the decline of the GDR economy. The example of the textile and clothing industry 1945–1989. Frankfurt a. M., Berlin, Vienna, New York 1997
  • Jochen Czerny : Residual bourgeoisie and state capitalism in the GDR. With an afterword by Jörg Roesler. Berlin 1996.
  • Heinz Hoffmann: The companies with state participation in the planned economy system of the GDR 1956–1972. Contributions to economic and social history, Vol. 79. Stuttgart 1999.

Web link


personal data
SURNAME Bormann, Heinz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION East German fashion designer
DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Erfurt
DATE OF DEATH February 8, 1989
Place of death Schönebeck (Elbe)