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9/20/1958 - Leipzig Chronicle II - The Nervous Ones by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DB Berlin Grunewald Lelpzlg Chronicle II Richard Strauss Str The Nervous Ones September Mr Walter S Roers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers After returning Leipzig people asked things looked Soviet Zone reply almest automatic probably someor comment It looks seedy In retrospect remark somehow needs clarifi ation Take aspect streets German Democratic Republic They uncared forlook Stucco peellng facades beams exposed elements Potholes remain unfilled Weeds rampant vacant abandoned farms The countless Communist posters plain thousand times sometimes cheaper paste politics repair houses It depressing scene depressing compare Wamburg Dsseldorf Bt scale measur The East German scene still affluent counterparts Southern Italy india Africa Besides there construction campaign going brighten forlorn Zone From looks architectural models being displayed East Berlin Museums buildings imaginative flair impossible Stalin Era Already Communist shirtfronts billowing glorious East German future forecast July Fifth Party Congress Eves their present quality putty crumbles their paint flakes appears probable their hopes fulfilled coming years However Soviet Zone moment usually Nineteen Thirties fashioned clothes shops homes At simmering Sunday afternoon people flocked cafes There garden restaurant Peterstrasse where string orchestra played schmaltzy_ music I asked young chair table He nodded His hands twitched nervously They His masked bdark glasses His spare mouth worked incessantly He tight backed Jacket black shirt Ten minutes passed DB An older couple Joined The young geeted curtly The older unshaven there If shabby would looked The llpped woman unkempt dowdy blouse Soon couple begsn asking questiono Chicago whereall those gangsters criminals Is still How people You paradise there unemployed The older there million employed America llion We exchanged clgarttes The woman husband Leipzig visit their silent Fair ather added butchers trade We bUtcher before Now helpers State owned markets Where parents She named small village In Branden We television father proudly price Ours marks How bucher Oh between marks montho This about average Zone Then afford television I asked Isn awfully expensive Well father brought Thre We Western programs regularly Like walking The mother talked The slogan oPera house reconstruc about family overtake West German Our other caplta consumption interpreter He studied Leipzig Now vacation Black Sea More East ermans their holidays Russia still costly proposition which party shots other favored elements alone enjoy afford DB The Tather spoke America there P O W recalled clothes automobiles It recitation family heard times The mother asked about prices United States Ach sighed It paradlme there Paradlse The taciturn smiled sourly wrung lacerated And A news0aoerman recommended Astoria Hotel Den restaurant I hailed driver Platz Republlk It veryold young driver Your automobile I asked You replied You think I drive those State owned I going private I asked whether listened Western radio broadcasts All Especially RIAS West Berlin station supported United States Information Service BBC It comes beautifully FM We rattled Astoria Big Russian parked around though there movie premiere Liveried doormen shooed curious crowds There signs Windows Closed Reserved Fair Guests This flrst hotels prominent Tou around corner cabby celler proletarians The Den I finally place ordered Rostbraten The others table drinking three heavily dress They employed People Own dress factories Their slightly glazed Joking among themselves We servants pointed tonga skinny young whwore Communist Party button I thought there servants under Socialism I replied Good Good older The gazed balefully She appeared suspicious foreigners The young began speak excitedly Some That not_true Westerners think dictated We completely choose fashiong Mostly follow Paris Rome We always Then blustered bitabout superiorlty Socillsm Mind comcluded trying convince Dont The older ordered round cognac toasted nervous Then young invited visit exhiblt At I Congress Leipzig Zoo festival concert famous Gwandhaus Orchestra Fritz onwitschny reknwued conduc select program which Included Brahm First Symphony modern Finnlsh composer tuffs auditorum keeled fainted The performance wasexcellent Konwitschny conducts superb control fluidity rewarded ability political loyalty DDR regime The Government recently awarded National Prize artistic accomollshment Konwitschny receives enormous salary In Leipzig whispers about conductor sprees onwitschny financial harvest fairly typical performing artists DDE Tit orchestras Gewandhaus opera companies theater groups East Berlin enjoy great reputations The Government recognizes political premiums support accordingly In morning hosts talked about their Lelpzig husband hauled carefully preserved Western dance records phonograph turntable It music forbidden J deslred He recited bitter Jokes about Walter Ulbrlcht Leipzig first secretary Socialist Unity Party Communist satellite state Have Ulbricht Schnitzel Jape begins No Well Bcaus haven killed He turned politics Look Adenauer years What He still travels around world He Russians Mscow pounds table Give I And Our Pieck lhelm Pieck flgurhed_president DDR Berlin iLelpzlg senile I asked about practice religion Leipzig She before ouation split fifty between rotestants 0athollcs But postwar influx expellees Sudeenland Silesia great Cathollc maJorlty When I church I sneere neigh They streets Those priests waste church But church always There ervlces Sunday alternating Protestants Catholics You should Corpus Christi It demonstration Indicative ZOne reglme attitudetowards religion eipzig damaged 9athollc church being rather rebuilt Official pressure against churchgoers priests increases daily My hosts about Voluntary Construction Rours during recent years They obliged unteer their build roads houses parks The unteers organized bigades shovellers brick chippers takers DB The compen ation apartment Socialist building other words Te State demand extra labor constant embraces every lementof populatlOo It things gives DER wartime atmosphere We construction hours apartment later This above beyond regular One topic interested particularly youth Throughout summer reports seeped West agede_izigers fighting attempts mobilize Communist tasks There stories gangs rlots Jazz clubs vrulent protest movement against Communist youth organiza Frel Deutsche Jugend FDJ Jazz appeared focal point reSstne The DIR Government frequently declared music degenerat corrupt imperialistic gangster unmuslc I first People Police station large building facing Dittrichring The Volkspollzisten baffled thereuest their press officer One dialed three numbers telephone person existed Finally My comrade escort Major Schmoeler But fibst leave We paternoster third floor Major Schmoeller received spacious office beefy spoke broad Saxon dialect MaJor Ibegan Wehavebeenreadingalotaboutthewild agers Leipzig DDR press arrest Could something about really small number great newspapers spoken several hundPed bunch dressed Western styles cowboy shirts Jeans medallions their chests Some fresh people streets It problem Purely external They Just SocSallst street scene We arrested scare stopped The Scarecrows Peterssrasse paper called He chuckled heavi Vould possible records tectives worked cases Schmoeller blenched Just minute I speak chief He returned minutes later spoke rapidly You information Minister Interior East erlln I cannot Goodbye Out street stopped ouple youngsters Lederhosen Hey about agers Man rough oldest They expelled schoo1 And theIPriacipa forbade Jeans There three gangs other The Cp itols Broadways Forty Seconds Many arrested month And police closed clubs Where music Lelpzi The place I heard Thlmann strasse closed flrst They Commu A dares nists really costume Is sight In Lelpzig The pinch faced party member opposite during lunch uriuger Hef subject DB We haven saidare plenty industrial cities But there Why I wsnted They EBough family should public Then But Western stuffspeciflcally They think everything West modern fashionable So Imitate smuggle In these adventure steries where gruesome crimes described iexact detail They think We something riets He swallewed ccmtlnued vetce honesty those thrill myself And Just Juvenile rlets start They dough their pockets throw three beers Then pretty start showing These youngsters should taught hikes summer camps That youth groups A woman table broke We factory I every Id there wears speaks nothing Western stuff The party buyer small State operative store added To frank reason about years behind times comes fashions music But bands unless behave The theater operations stepped Communist campaign capture Eas Germany reluctant youth education The latest nationwide introduction polytechnlcal education September Its announced combine classroom theory practice The means include sending DDRs school children seventh grade farms factories The Government hopes youngsters better Commmnlsts In order about scheme I Ie partment People ducation Leipzig Rathaus A susplcous secretary started superlntendent office Then changed I I anted interview teachers maybe visit polytechIcal class But Just started Its early He seemed upset I superintendent weeks implication predecessor flown West Thre Some OOO teachers DDR since January cannot arrange anything Do through press bureau DB At Press Center Herr Jumpy accomzodatin mised conference teachers As inter Trade Mnlster Ru DB That afternoon Heinrlch Rau dozen cronies stagy press conference ornate bourgeois assembly athaus The Jammed several hundred reporters DDR papers Facing trade functionaries looking The conference started tiresome decla ration deputy Gerhard Weiss He echoed boasts about East Ger incredible industrial successes swipes West German soonomy As might expected discussion period taken planted uestlons DDR Press Conference Inster Rau reporters These would secona right uestions almost pious Then officials would stand Itm asked reply manuscript It pretty crude The questions answered directly communists asked For instance gyptian asked DD would consider stretching credit terms loans United Arab Republi Answer We greatly interested continuing development trade Near East countries I directed following uestion Minister Rau Insofar complained during opening speech about U S embargo against DDR DB could goods DDR wants trade America embargo lifted ustood smiled patriarch smile paused He began slowly Well actually haven thoughts America would broad assortment goods offer At present there basis trade In haven think about It There think about After conference I looked reporter local newspaper Leipzier Volkszeltung I could arrange around plant Me would collegial In course hours caIled times Five times I around Finally I U understandable seemed People reporters receive Western colleague Pro bably Leipzig newsmen Communists regard Westerners spies Received New York November I0 Davld Binder