An "industrial-workers-type" Collective Farm during Agricultural Collectivization in East Germany : Erfurt City in Thuringia, Southern East Germany, 1952-1960

Abstract

This article focuses on the political action "Industriearbeiter, aufs Land," or "industrial workers, to the country," which was implemented at almost the same time as agricultural collectivization (1952-1960). This political action was a response to agricultural crises, such as the increase in abandoned farmland, and simultaneously was expected by the Socialist United Party (SED) to rationalize and mechanize socialist agriculture. Previous studies of collectivization mostly ignore this action and refer to it only as a total failure that resulted in a decline in agricultural production, or as evidence showing the endurance of what are termed "traditional agro-social milieus." The impact of this action on agriculture has not been sufficiently analyzed. This paper therefore will clarify the actual impact of this action through an analysis of archive documents from a collective farm (LPG). This action was comprehensively implemented in this LPG that it was transformed into what should be termed an "industrial-workers-type." farm from our analysis we demonstrate the following findings. First, the action should be viewed from not only "party-state" perspective, but in terms of multilayered power relations. Second, the action became particularly significant in the southern region of East Germany and it was this significance that led to its failure. Third, the suburb condition enabled local politicians to send industrial workers to the LPG, but it was this condition that led to the failure of the action.