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East Germany District and Local Party Levels
The SED is organized according to a "territorial-industrial"
principle. The units of the party are organized on a hierarchical
basis, conforming at the higher levels to administrative
divisions within the country. The work of each subordinate party
organization is subject to supervision and control by a superior
one. In theory these restrictions and duties are counterbalanced
by the "right of discussion and the election of party organs."
The basic party organizations, called Grundorganizationen
(GOs) are "the foundation of the party"; they are organized
primarily at places of work. There are several kinds of GOs: the
industrial party organization, (Betriebsparteiorganization), the
residential party organization, (Wohnparteiorganization), the
local party organization, (Ortsparteiorganization), and basic
party organizations in the armed forces.A GO is formed when there
are at least three members in a factory, cooperative, office,
institution, administration, social welfare enterprise, urban or
rural residential area, enterprise, university, or armed forces
unit. To conform with the administrative divisions of the
country, the GOs are integrated into district, city, and citydistrict party organizations, all within regional party
organizations.
Although a GO is formed when at least 3 party members are
present in an area, a section party organization
(Abteilungsparteiorganization--APO) may be formed in enterprises
having more than 150 members. The duties of the APOs entail
selection and dismissal of members and encouragement of higher
productivity, greater civic consciousness, and strengthened
ideological awareness. The APO thus occupies a key position in
the implementation of the party's program.
According to SED statutes, the main task of the GO is "to
secure the politico-ideological and organizational influence of
the party in the realization of its leading role in all social
spheres." The activity of the GO is oriented also toward
"mobilizing and organizing the masses to fulfilling state,
economic, and cultural tasks." Party group organizers and their
deputies meet regularly, at least once a month; the meetings are
convened by the GO or APO party secretary, and members are
briefed on the party work in their organizational area. The GO is
an important conduit in the flow of information between the lower
levels and the leading organs of the party and government,
requisite to directing and planning the society. The GO is also
designed to represent a forum for the public to express their
opinions, concerns, interests, approval, or disapproval of
policies and activities.
There are two kinds of GOs worthy of special note: those in
government ministries and those in the armed forces. The former
are responsible to the party level with jurisdiction over an
entire ministry or regional government organization; the GOs
report to the corresponding geographical (local, district, or
national) party authority, thus enabling the party to maintain
and enhance its control over the activities of the state organs.
In 1983 there were 57,782 GOs and 26,386 APOs, or a total of
84,168 organizations. In 1987 no figures were available
concerning the number of GOs and APOs having large memberships.
The official view is that these basic units secure the party's
"political ideological influence . . . in all spheres of social
life"; for the individual member, they are said to be "a
political home in which the member is firmly rooted and in whose
communist sphere he feels at home and from which he draws new
strength."
Judging by the directives issued for the election of party
organization leadership in the fall of 1983, the chief task of
party groups at the lower levels is to achieve particular
economic goals. Although the "heart and soul of party work" are
proclaimed to be "political and ideological work with the
people," the "criteria . . . for judging the results of political
leadership" by party organizations deal almost exclusively with
the details of economic matters.
Data as of July 1987
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