Volkspolizei - WikiHQ

The (DVP; ), commonly known as the 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 roughly 257,500 personnel at its peak. It worked closely with the Stasi to maintain public order and identify threats to the government.

History

The 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 comprised some 22,000 personnel. The police force experienced several challenges at this time: 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, 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 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 ("German People's Police") from May 1949 onward, three months before the GDR's founding.

The Volkspolizei was dissolved during German reunification in 1990, and was superseded by the Bundespolizei of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Landespolizei of the reconstituted states of Saxony, , Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, and Berlin.

Organization

Main administration

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:

Criminal Investigation Department ()
Railway Police Department ()
Registration Department ()
Traffic Police Department ()
Uniformed Police Department ()
Fire Department ()

In addition to these units, the Volkspolizei also comprised the paramilitary Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP, people's police in barracks, similar to internal troops of MVD), 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.

Regional commands

Berlin Presidium of the People's Police ()
Eight police inspectorates ()
River Police Inspectorate ()
Fourteen district commands—one per East German District, excluding Karl Marx Stadt.
Area Command of the Volkpolizei in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz) to protect the state enterprise of Wismut AG.

Leadership

; Minister of the Interior ()

Karl Steinhoff (1949–52)
Willi Stoph (1952–55)

; Chief of the German Volkpolizei ()

Kurt Fischer (1949–50)
Karl Maron (1950–55)

Uniforms

With the exception of the , whose grey-green uniforms follow the style of the East German National People’s Army ( - NVA), all services wore 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 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 () were for only the . 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 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 () was a summer service uniform for officers with a bloused jacket, worn without a shirt, trousers, and a visored service cap, worn by all Volkspolizei members except for the , along with the . 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, a long, heavy, belted overcoat was worn.

The semi-dress uniform (), 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 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 () for officers was the semi-dress jacket worn with all awards and decorations, breeches and riding boots, steel helmet or police shako () from 1950 to 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 () 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 the lower ranks, especially heavy vehicle and flying personnel. Officers in technical branches supervising fatigue details wear a laboratory-style smock.

Other types of 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 the season and the occasion. Traffic police, motorcyclists, armoured vehicle personnel, and others have special items of apparel.

Volkspolizei uniform initially had green , 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 the wearer's affiliation.

Ranks

Officers

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"

|- style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=1| Insignia (1949–1954)

| colspan=2 rowspan=4|

| colspan=2| 50px

| colspan=12| 50px

|- style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=1| > Insignia (1954–1990)

| colspan=2| 50px

| colspan=12| 50px

|- style="text-align:center;"

! Title (1949–1957)

| colspan=2| Chief of the German People's Police

| colspan=2| Inspector General

| colspan=2| Chief Inspector

| colspan=2| Inspector

| colspan=2| Commander

| colspan=2| Senior Councilor

| colspan=2| Councilor

| colspan=2| Head Commissar

| colspan=2| Senior Commissar

| colspan=2| Commissar

| colspan=2| Junior Commissar

| colspan=12| Student Officer

|- style="text-align:center;"

! Title (1957–1990)

| colspan=2|

| colspan=12|

Other ranks

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"

|- style="text-align:center;"

!rowspan=3|

!colspan=6 rowspan=2|

|colspan=2| 53px

|colspan=2| 50px

|colspan=6| 50px

|colspan=3 rowspan=2|

|colspan=3| 50px

|colspan=4| 50px

|colspan=2 rowspan=2|

|colspan=6| 50px

|colspan=2| 50px

|- style="text-align:center;"

|colspan=2| Senior Master of the VP

|colspan=2| Master of the VP

|colspan=6| Main Watch Master of the VP

|colspan=3| Senior Watch Master of the VP

|colspan=4| Watch Master of the VP

|colspan=6| Junior Watch Master of the VP

|colspan=2| Candidate of the VP

Equipment

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 on the hood.<gallery>

File:Volkspolizei Wartburg 2009-06-07.jpg|Volkspolizei Wartburg

File:Berlin.Trabant_001.JPG|Volkspolizei Trabant 601

File:Volkspolizei_Automobil_von_vorn_2009-06-07.jpg|Moskvitch 408

File:Bundesarchiv_B_145_Bild-F089036-0029,_Köthen,_Polizei-PKW_Wartburg,_Lada,_Barkas.jpg|Wartburg 353, Lada 1200, and Barkas (In Bundespolizei markings)

File:DDR_police_car_01.jpg|Lada 1500

File:IFA_G5_Koffer_Volkspolizei.jpg|IFA G5 truckbus

File:Fotothek_df_ps_0006249_Häfen.jpg|Police boats

File:Barkas_B_1000_Volkspolizei.jpg|Barkas B 1000s

File:SonderKFZ1Nutzfahrzeugmuseum.JPG|Garant 30k SK-1

File:Volkspolizei_and_Volksarmee_Robur_LO_2002_trucks_at_the_Technik-Museum_P%C3%BCtnitz.jpg|Robur LO 2002 trucks

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 173-1282, Berlin, Brandenburger Tor, Wasserwerfer.jpg|IFA G5 based SK-2 at the Brandenburg Gate during the building of the Berlin Wall

File:020220514 233642 Luger M 08, Sanok.jpg|Luger pistol

File:Gewehr 43 noBG.jpg|Gewehr 43 (semi-automatic rifle)

</gallery>

Counterparts

People's Police (China)
Ministry of Public Security (China)
Ministry of Social Security (North Korea)
Internal Troops of Russia

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

EAST GERMANY - A Country Study (based on information from the Library of Congress)
The Democratisation of the Police (With Reference to the Brandenburg Police) by John Chivers
IG Deutsche Volkspolizei, in German
Volkspolizei page, at www.polizeiautos.de
The Band of the Volkspolizei

History

Organization

Main administration

Regional commands

Leadership

Uniforms

Ranks

Officers

Other ranks

Equipment

Counterparts

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links