CONFIDENTIAL
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
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DIPLOMATIC REPORT No. 389/76
General Distribution
GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
8 December, 1976
REC37 No. 51
THE GDR: INTERNAL STRAINS
Her Majesty's Ambassador at East Berlin to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
26 JAN1977
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SUMMARY
Internal strains, now becoming more apparent, suggest that the GDR is more complex and difficult to govern than might at first sight appear (paragraphs 1-2).
2. The self-immolation of Pastor Brüsewitz shocked wide circles in the GDR and FRG, brought a clumsy response from the authorities, and forced the Church leaders to take a stand. Contradictions between Church and State have been highlighted. The State's worry over the Church as a possible source of dissent (paragraphs 3–4).
3. The case of Wolf Biermann similarly provoked strong internal and West German reactions. In the GDR there were petitions, organised counter-petitions and arrests. Why did the authorities feel the need to get rid of him? A sense of weakness, a fear of the FRG and its media, but also concern about criticism from the Left. A possible tightening-up in the cultural field (para- graphs 5--7).
4. 100,000 or more citizens currently have applications filed to leave the GDR, not all out of political motivation. The applicants refer to Helsinki and no longer seem afraid. The authorities' response is again likely to be a tightening-up (paragraph 8).
5. The immediate political impact of this discontent should not be exaggerated, but the GDR is now on the world stage, has pretensions to certain standards of behaviour and is under greater external pressures than in the Ulbricht era. Honecker tries to associate himself with a more sophisticated and humane policy. There is the glare of West German publicity. Greater repression may be inevitable, but it will be more tricky. The lack of enthusiasm for GDR society as it is emerging (paragraph 9).
(Confidential)
Sir,
East Berlin,
8 December, 1976.
Germany, said Herder, is the land of obedience and on the surface GDR life is one of suffocating conformity. In October 98-86 per cent of those voting approved the single list of candidates for the Volkskammer presented to them by the authorities. Later in the same month the country applauded a new Head of State,
CONFIDENTIAL
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