Stalinstadt/Eisenhuttenstadt: A model for (socialist) life in the German Democratic Republic, 1950--1968
Description
The Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED), the core of the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), saw building socialism as its fundamental task. This dissertation elucidates the means by which the regime constructed 'socialism' and evaluates both the effects and the effectiveness of the procedure, using the city of Eisenhuttenstadt as a prism The city was founded in 1950. It provided a tabula rasa, upon which the policies and practices of the SED and the GDR could be engraved and exhibited. It was not 'average,' but representative. Stalinstadt, as the city was known from 1953 to 1961, is instructive as a model for what socialist life actually was in the German Democratic Republic. What happened in Eisenhuttenstadt happened in other cities across the GDR; policies affecting the lives of Stalinstadt's citizens likewise affected East Germans everywhere The official historiography suggests that a new and better type of community was created in Stalinstadt. The collective memory and pride of the residents and builders of the city in their community reinforces the image. Recent studies of the city in all fields, however, have uncovered discordant notes and revealed many of the claims regarding the city as partial truths at best. Why and to what extent Stalinstadt failed to meet the expectations of its founders is one of the central questions of this dissertation By using the extensive records of the SED and the city administration, it evaluates success against the standards they set for themselves. Because the city was a social experiment in which external, historical factors were minimized, the effects of government policy are more clearly distinguishable in Stalinstadt. It may be true that Stalinstadt eventually came to resemble most other cities in East Germany, but it can also be said that most other cities in the GDR came in many ways to resemble Stalinstadt. By examining the city and asking big questions of a small place, this history will contribute to a clearer understanding of life in East Germany