Timeline

Poster 2

1949

World events

May 23, 1949
Founding of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).

Events in the GDR

October 7, 1949
Founding of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

1950

World events

March 25, 1950
Start of the Korean War.

1952

Events in the GDR

July 9-12, 1952
The second party conference of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) takes place. The accelerated establishment of socialism is decided there.

August 20, 1952
The SED promotes the formation of farming collectives.

September 5, 1952
West Berlin-based owners of East Berlin shops are dispossessed.

November 6, 1952
Prime Minister Otto Grotewohl admits that there are supply chain problems in the GDR. According to him, the reason for this is the harmful capitalist influence on the Ministry for Trade and Supply.

1953

Events in the GDR

February 1953
Many workers cannot meet the production quotas due to problems in the supply chain. As a result, they receive lower wages.

World events

March 5, 1953
Death of Joseph Stalin.

Events in the GDR

March 1953
New tax and price increases in the GDR. At the same time, the exodus of the GDR population to the West reaches a record high (over 50,000 leave in March alone).

April 1953
Otto Grotewohl denies there is a fight against the church, but political measures against the Junge Gemeinde are severe. The Junge Gemeinde is a youth organization that does evangelical community work.

May 1953
Ca. one-tenth of the population lose their food ration cards as of May 1. These include small business owners, retailers, wholesalers, and restaurant owners.

May 28, 1953
Production quotas are raised by 10% (i.e. more work for the same wages).

June 11, 1953
The USSR forces the GDR government to announce the „New Course“ in response to discontent in society.

June 16, 1953
The first strikes in East Berlin take place. The government rescinds the increase in production quotas and calls on the workers to stop their protests.

June 17, 1953
The strikes expand into a popular uprising. The demonstrators now also make political demands. A state of emergency is declared in East Berlin and the Soviet military violently disperses the protests.

June 18, 1953
The popular uprising continues. The GDR press calls it a „provocation“ by the West. The state of emergency now officially applies to 80% of GDR territory.

June 19, 1953
The GDR press condemns the alleged provocations but also claims that there are no work stoppages in the factories.

World events

June 19, 1953
Execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg as Soviet spies in the USA.

Events in the GDR

June 22, 1953
Das Volk publishes the alleged confession of „fascist provocateur“ Werner Kalkowski, an unemployed actor from West Berlin. Many more supposed pieces of „evidence“ and public exposures follow.

World events

June 23, 1953
A memorial service is held in honor of the victims of the popular uprising on June 17 in West Berlin.

Events in the GDR

June 25, 1953
The GDR government adopts special measures to improve the standard of living.

June 26, 1953
The SED district leadership of East Berlin organizes a counter-demonstration to the popular uprising. The loyal working class supposedly shows its faith in the government.

June 27, 1953
The Ministry for State Security and the East German police are to hand over those arrested to the courts more quickly.

World events

July 3, 1953
The German Bundestag establishes June 17 as German Unity Day and a public holiday.