Stasi policy's long arm can be felt in particular matters including Church-State relations right up to the present. Since the recent opening-up of the archives it is possible to make corrections at last; in this case apropos the discussions between Church and State representatives on 12 March 1962 about the issues concerning the introduction of military conscription. The strategy and formulation of Prime Minister Willy Stoph were fixed in fact by a decision of the SED Central Committee long before Stoph's own formulation. The MfS was also involved in the preparatory phase. However, the aim to discredit bishop Friedrich-Wilhelm Krummacher as chairman of the Council representing the governing bodies of the GDR Protestant churches (EKL), and replace him with his deputy, bishop Moritz Mitzenheim, was not achieved. Krummacher was re-elected as chairman despite the State's attempts to influence events. Within the Church, the State's policy of divide and rule led to considerable tension. On the other hand, the Church's involvement in the military conscription issue was not without success. The events of 1962 are exemplary in a number of ways.

Enthalten in:
Theologische Literaturzeitung; 1999/Nr.5 Monatsschrift für das gesamte Gebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (1999)

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Serie / Reihe: Theologische Literaturzeitung

Personen: Bräuer, Siegfried

Schlagwörter: Kirche-Staat-Beziehung Deutsche Demokratische Republik Wehrpflicht Krummacher, Friedrich-Wilhelm