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37-629: The German Democratic Republic's Ministry of the Interior (German: Ministerium des Innern , or MdI) maintained the independent Department of the Alert Units of the Volkspolizei known as the Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften (VPB). It consisted of between 12,000 and 15,000 men in 21 Volkspolizei Alert Units of battalion strength. There was usually one unit per district of East Germany , but

74-605: A 6-month practical internship . The reasons Volkspolizei officers gave for joining the force were a desire to work with people, idealism , family tradition, belief in the system and the wish to serve one's country. From 1962, the Volkspolizei had its own school in Berlin-Biesdorf which trained around 3,500 officers up to 1989. There were several other schools. The Kasernierten Einheiten (barracks units) had their own training facilities. Officers were initially trained in

111-453: A debacle. Police stations and court houses were attacked, and throughout the disturbances sections of the Volkspolizei were effectively paralysed, with some personnel even joining the protesters. A central party report on 18 June 1953 concluded that: "A stop must be put to the general phenomenon on 17 June, that people merely observed, withdrew, or allowed themselves to be ignored or disarmed." This failure by Volkspolizei personnel to engage in

148-534: A force of armed units housed in barracks and trained in military fashion. The force consisted of forty units with 100–250 men each, the units being subordinated to provincial authorities. Many of the officers and men were recruited from among German POWs held in the Soviet Union. In November 1948, the German Interior Administration ( Deutschen Verwaltung des Innern , DVdI) took responsibility over

185-402: A leather belt with vertical web shoulder suspenders. In the winter, a quilted stone-grey padded suit without a camouflage pattern is worn over the service uniform. The winter uniform also includes a fur pile cap or a steel helmet, boots, knitted grey gloves, belt, and suspenders. The service uniform ( Dienstuniform ) was a summer service uniform for officers with a bloused jacket, worn without

222-412: A long, heavy, belted overcoat was worn. The semi-dress uniform ( Ausgangsuniform ), except in details, was the same for all ranks and was worn on off-duty or off-post occasions. It included the service cap, jacket, long trousers, and black low-quarter shoes. The single-breasted jacket was worn without a belt, with a white or grey-green shirt and a green tie. Officers were allowed to wear the jacket with

259-641: A shirt, trousers, and a visored service cap, worn by all Volkspolizei members except for the Kasernierte , along with the Ausgangsuniform . The winter service uniform version featured a jacket that had four large patch pockets with button-down tabs, worn with a black belt, the service cap, breeches, shirt, tie, belt, and high boots are provided for officers and NCOs. Enlisted and NCO caps had green piping, but Officer caps had silver piping for junior to mid-level officers and gold piping for senior officers. For winter,

296-415: A white shirt. During periods of warm summer weather, either the shirt and tie or the jacket may be omitted. For a while a double-breasted jacket could be worn as optional wear by officers and warrant officers. The parade uniform ( Paradeuniform ) for officers was the semi-dress jacket worn with all awards and decorations, breeches and riding boots, steel helmet or police shako ( Tschako ) from 1950 to

333-751: Is in the public domain . Country Studies . Federal Research Division . Kasernierte Volkspolizei The Kasernierte Volkspolizei (English: Barracked People's Police ) ( KVP ) was the precursor to the National People's Army (NVA) in East Germany . Their original headquarters was in Adlershof locality in East Berlin , and from 1954 in Strausberg in modern-day Brandenburg . They ceased to exist after 1956, having been transformed into

370-651: The Volkspolizei or VoPo , was the national uniformed police force of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1945 to 1990. The Volkspolizei was a highly- centralized agency responsible for most civilian law enforcement in East Germany, maintaining 257,500 personnel at its peak. It worked closely along with the Stasi to maintain public order and identify threats to the regime. The Volkspolizei

407-508: The East German uprising of 1953 , the number of sections and ABVs almost doubled. The purpose of the ABV was to establish and cultivate a "close connection" with their section's population, in order to fulfil conventional policing duties, as well as enable the party to penetrate society at the very moment of the construction of socialism through state power. Police functions were also extended beyond

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444-476: The GDR 's extensive security bureaucracy. In terms of general policing duties, the Volkspolizei dealt with criminal activity as conventionally understood, such as theft, murder, and so on, but also performed duties including border protection, passport and identity controls, transport control, and the protection of sensitive buildings and areas, each of which were carried out by specialised departments. A critical part of

481-564: The Landespolizei  of the reconstituted states of Saxony , Thuringia , Saxony-Anhalt , Brandenburg , Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Berlin . With the founding of the GDR in 1949, the Volkspolizei was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior. The Volkspolizei was divided into various individual branches and specialised forces: In addition to these units, the Volkspolizei also comprised

518-470: The German Democratic Republic and its government at all times, to keep official and state secrets, and to strictly obey laws and instructions. I will unswervingly strive to fulfill my official duties conscientiously, honestly, courageously, vigilantly and with discipline. I swear, that I will, without reservation, under risk of my life protect the socialist social, state and legal order,

555-744: The NVA, but are often confused with the later paramilitary police units, the Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft . The KVP was tasked with internal security operations since at the time, the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany was still mandated to provide external defenses for East Germany. In October 1948, the Soviet Military Administration in Germany formed the Alert Police ( Bereitschaftspolizei ),

592-476: The Volkspolizei required at least ten years of education, vocational training (see education in East Germany ), military service, and a history of political loyalty. Upon joining, a recruit would take a five-month course at the Police Academy ( VP-Schule ). The schedule contained political education, police law, criminal law and procedures, and military-style fitness training. Afterwards the recruit completed

629-446: The Volkspolizei was its grass-roots policing, introduced from 1952, whereby every GDR citizen had their own "section commissioner" ( Abschnittsbevollmächtigte , ABV). Within their section, the ABV was responsible for all policing affairs regardless of branch or speciality in that area; in total, approximately 5,000 ABV positions were created all over the republic in order to cover an average of 4,000 inhabitants per section. Following

666-546: The Volkspolzei changed over time. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Volkspolizei can be regarded as the nucleus of all other armed state institutions of the GDR . It was the first institution of the East German state, from which other organisations such as the Stasi and the National People's Army originated, both at the institutional and personnel level. Over time, however, it increasingly became but one agency within

703-621: The army ground forces, from 1963 at the Officers' school and from 1971 to the officers' school in Dresden-Wilder Mann: The Volkspolizei had approximately 80,000 full-time police officers and 177,500 volunteers. With the accession of East Germany to the Federal Republic on 3 October 1990, authority over the police went to the newly created federal jurisdiction. About forty percent of the Volkspolizei employees had to leave

740-586: The confrontation was another serious concern. In response to the failings of the police response greater coordination between the Stasi, the Volkspolizei and the National People's Army was implemented. All three organisations cooperated under the local, regional, and central leaderships of the party, under the overall control of the National Defence Council. The failure by different agencies to cooperate

777-541: The force (and the border troops ) and included them in section named Hauptabteilung Grenzpolizei und Bereitschaften (HA GP/B). By the end of 1948, the force grew to 10,000 men. The section was renamed to Verwaltung für Schulung (VfS) on 25 August 1949 to Hauptverwaltung für Ausbildung (HVA) on 15 October 1949 and to Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP) on 1 June 1952. In December 1952, KVP membership had grown to 90,250. The ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Soviet officers exercised strict ideological control over

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814-538: The force in 1949; as a consequence, 86% of its membership were now members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany . It was formally referred to as the Deutsche Volkspolizei ("German People's Police") from May 1949 onward, three months before the GDR's founding. It was dissolved during German reunification in 1990, and was superseded by the Bundespolizei of the Federal Republic of Germany and

851-573: The key districts of Halle , Leipzig and Magdeburg , with their large working class populations, and Potsdam all had two units. The Presidium of the People's Police in East Berlin had three units located in Basdorf . Each Alert unit was organized as follows: These units were equipped with light and medium infantry weapons, SK-1 wheeled armoured personnel carriers, SK-2 water cannon (both armoured and unarmoured versions) and buses . Their uniform

888-529: The late 1960s, white shirt, green neck-tie, and a ceremonial dagger on the left side, fastened to a silver-grey parade belt. Officers in guards of honour carry sabres. In winter, overcoat, scarf, and gloves were worn. The type of work uniform ( Arbeitsuniform ) worn was governed by seasonal considerations and weather. Generally, reconditioned items of service clothing; field, semi-dress and winter padded uniforms; some dyed black, were issued for all types of fatigue and maintenance details. Coveralls are also used by

925-566: The lower ranks, especially heavy vehicle and flying personnel. Officers in technical branches supervising fatigue details wear a laboratory-style smock. Other types of Volkspolizei uniforms existed. High-ranking officers occasionally wore white uniforms, or at least a white jacket similar to those worn by Generals in the National People's Army , and staff officers were supplied with staff service uniforms. Women had their own uniforms consisting of jackets, skirts or slacks, blouses, caps, boots or pumps, and other appropriate items in accordance with

962-558: The official, paid forces through organisations such as Combat Groups of the Working Class ( Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse , KdA), organised units within factories and workplaces numbering around 400,000. The effectiveness of the Volkspolizei was questioned following the Uprising of 1953. The leaders of the SED and the Volkspolizei interpreted the response by the GDR 's security apparatus as

999-433: The paramilitary Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP, people's police in barracks, similar to MVD Internal Troops ), from which the National People's Army (NVA) was formed in 1956. Following this, the Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft became the main paramilitary riot and anti-insurgency unit in the GDR. (In 1955, the posts of Minister of the Interior and head of the Volkspolizei were combined into a single office.) The function of

1036-409: The proportion of non-trained personnel between 65 and 95% undermined its professionalism and turnover rates of personnel were initially as high as 50%, affecting the stability of the workforce. By 1948, Volkspolizei membership had increased to approximately 65,000, but there were still issues of political unreliability and insufficient professional aptitude , which prompted a purge of 10,000 from

1073-418: The same basic uniform adopted in 1956 when it was officially established. There were various kinds of uniforms, worn according to the work or social situation and differing in material for summer or winter wear. Most uniforms — service, semi-dress, and parade — are gray-green but the transport police wore dark blue. The better quality and texture of the cloth in officers' uniforms distinguished them from

1110-509: The season and the occasion. Traffic police, motorcyclists, armoured vehicle personnel, and others have special items of apparel. Volkspolizei uniform initially had green waffenfarben , but later reverted to white except for the transport police who wore blue. The uniform of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei is distinguished from that of the NVA ground force and Air Defence Force by a green armband with large silver letters identifying

1147-912: The service. The official oath that all Volkspolizei officers swore was: Ich schwöre meinem sozialistischen Vaterland, der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik und ihrer Regierung allzeit treu ergeben zu sein, Dienst- und Staatsgeheimnisse zu wahren und die Gesetze und Weisungen genau einzuhalten. Ich werde unentwegt danach streben, gewissenhaft, ehrlich, mutig, diszipliniert und wachsam meine Dienstpflichten zu erfüllen. Ich schwöre, daß ich, ohne meine Kräfte zu schonen, auch unter Einsatz meines Lebens, die sozialistische Gesellschafts-, Staats- und Rechtsordnung, das sozialistische Eigentum, die Persönlichkeit, die Rechte und das persönliche Eigentum der Bürger vor verbrecherischen Anschlägen schützen werde. Sollte ich dennoch diesen meinen feierlichen Eid brechen, so möge mich die Strafe der Gesetze unserer Republik treffen. I swear, to be loyal to my socialist fatherland,

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1184-599: The socialist property, the personality, the rights and the personal property of the citizens against felonious attacks. If I nevertheless break this, my solemn oath, I shall be confronted with the punishment of the laws of our republic. With the exception of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei , whose grey-green uniforms follow the style of the East German National People’s Army ( Nationale Volksarmee - NVA), all Volkspolizei services wore

1221-455: The uniforms of enlisted personnel. The field and service uniforms became normal attire in garrison and for most other duty activities. The basic categories of uniforms were field, service, semi-dress, and parade. Field uniforms ( Felddienstuniform ) were for only the Kasernierte Volkspolizei . The field uniform consisted of the NVA's service uniform. The uniform was worn with a field cap, service cap, or steel helmet; high black boots; and

1258-484: The wearer's affiliation. To see full list click Here Patrol cars and vans driven by the Volkspolizei were painted with the colors white on the top and green on the bottom with the insignia of the Volkspolizei on either side and / or the hood. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . Country Studies . Federal Research Division . [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which

1295-524: Was believed to have been partly responsible for the escalation of the June Uprising. In response, therefore, more effective coordination was instituted to ensure the rapid suppression of potential unrest and in moments of crisis, such as during August 1961 and August 1968. The efficiency of these forces and the close cooperation between state and party organs was a key factor in maintaining the outward semblance of stability from 1953 to 1989. Recruitment to

1332-561: Was effectively founded in June 1945 when the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SVAG) established central police forces in the regions of Nazi Germany it occupied following after World War II . The SVAG approved the arming of community -level police forces on 31 October 1945, but remained a non-militarised force, and by 1946 the Volkspolizei comprised some 22,000 personnel. The police force experienced several challenges at this time:

1369-512: Was the standard Volkspolizei grey-green. The political reliability of the Alert Units was of particular importance to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) as they would be used against the population in the event of social disorders such as the strike of 17 June 1953 in the industrial areas of East Germany. Volkspolizei The Deutsche Volkspolizei (DVP, German for "German People's Police"), commonly known as

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