Presenting the history of an unexplored yet significant institution in East Germany, this book analyses the development of the Parteihochschule Karl Marx (PHS), a training institute for Communist party officials and members of the functional elite. By chronicling the PHS from its establishment in 1946, the author demonstrates how it sought to implement Stalin's rule, and sheds light on the activities of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in the German Democratic Republic. The book focuses on the leadership of Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker as First Secretary and General Secretary of the SED respectively, and examines key personalities within the PHS. The activities of party functionaries under the rule of Hanna Wolf and Kurt Tiedke are scrutinised, revealing the dogmatic nature of the East German regime. An essential read for anyone interested in German history and East European Communism, this book brings to light one of the key institutions in implementing Stalinism and Marxism-Leninism in the German Democratic Republic.

Tells the story of the PHS from its creation in the 1940s to the collapse of the GDR in the late 1980s Examines key figures central to the PHS, including Hanna Wolf, Kurt Tiedke and Görtz Dieckmann Sheds light on the influence of party dogma and elitism in spreading Marxism-Leninism across Eastern Europe

Autorentext

Dietrich Orlow is Emeritus Professor of History at Boston University, USA. Before teaching at Boston University, Dietrich was a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Hamburg in Germany, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His research activities focus on aspects of the comparative history of contemporary Europe. He has written several books dealing with the history of modern Germany, including Socialist Reformers and the Collapse of the German Democratic Republic (Palgrave, 2015).

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Origins and Early Years, 1930-1950.- 3. The Ulbricht Years: The PHS under Hanna Wolf, 1950-1971.- 4. The Honecker Years: The PHS under Hanna Wolf, 1971-1983.- 5. The PHS under Kurt Tiedke, 1983-1989.- 6. Conclusion.