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2/8/1960 - Proletarian Prep Schools by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DB SS Onlted States Proletarian Prep School Atlantic February Mr Richard Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue New York City N Y Dear Mr Nolte It since I visited Greifswald Communist East Germany Yetthe memory quite fresh indulgence I should about The purpose acquaint ourselves Workers Peasants Faculty established Ulbricht regime Greifswald University These peculiar institutions begun years proletarian school designed promote higher education working class people their children More score Arbeitr Ba_uern FskBl ABF scattered around Grman Democratic Eepublic In every attached universities colleges We dlscov however connection nominal despite wishes dominant Socialist Unity Party Instead ABF schools separate entities whose purpose prepare persons grade school education university study Eventually dissolved cause class school system introduced education reform unnecessary But present ABFs vital elements East German scheme Indeed young cadres Communist Party educated Today there still young people getting ABF training Te night drive Trinwillershagen Grifswald swift despite roads We through Stralsund handsome Hansa opposite island Rhgen minutes entered plains Vormmern Pommerania This which Prussian Army finest soldiers Twentieth Century German officers praise their obedient unquestioning character traditional motto The thing wrong Pommeranians there DB We parked front Hotel Stadt Greifswald marketplace It century structure means plush Probably hostel travelling salesmen The porter could bathe although water steaming On learning I American seize pumped enthusiastically I prisoner Kansas three years With glance Herr Khn shadow Ministry Foreign Affairs added I freer there I since Herr Kuhn turned After supper walked University Club House A number carewere parked outside heard dance music behind curtained wind0ws Herr Khhn always proper cicerone tried dissuade entering It private affair complained But doorma cellar ballroom Only pleased ustickets Dental Students Ball A party progress Corks popped Crimean champagne bottles white coated waiters darted table table trays Hungarian Rumanian The dancefloor packed Everyone seemed dressed smartloy suits Volksarmee unlforms girls their gowns Herr Khhn conspicuous wearer Communist Party button He conspicuous While played potpourri Westsrn tunes I asked Hr Khn always buttons lapel Was obligatory It desir other JaCket replied Did wearing In crowded It might thinks streetcar train instance Party button supposed place woman That Socialist morale What I Any gentleman automatically Yes since manners fallen Germany He stroked pensively Take train Karl Marx Stadt Chemnitz every Saturday visit Six hours Stand after office Do every Karl Marx Stadt Party button Ja guide faintly The Greifswald denal sudens arranged variety program daace Now young guitarists improvised For performed hilarious satire close harmony The beauty East German regime officially baned music along wihoher decadent Western rhythms Bu Greifswalders around their clever parody Herr Khhn through approve thing WrirAk Nevertheless several bottles later Herr Khn spirit evening He waltzed foxtrotted drawing Jitterbug Meanwhile league Colin Lawson wooing blackeyed dental student I think I boasted started sixth champagne Then excused herself vanished forever Colln distaste East Germany began moment admitted later Down I chatted tudents fessors All America repeated longer We could things really You Aufasser watchdog This woman talking slightly intoxicated Her husband nudged quiet To defiantly They things ought about They about Greifswald treet Friendship given shopping thoroughfare known earlier Long Street Now local people refer street friendship Another Communists structure housing university history faculty The students Institute forVery Latest History Then Herr KShn showed andconversation stopped Ne start morning Snowflakes fluttered thickly Outside hotel planing It tenth anniversary Communist Young Pioneer organization Hundreds assembled marketplace marchers sCarfs pouring streets The Workers Peasants Faculty headquarters former Luftwaffe barracks outskirts Herr Khn directed easily himself product Greifswald ABF Rudolf Bittner director waiting He office explain workings faculty Here story The rbeterIBauezn Fakultten called study institutes theS0viet Military Administration The doors Germany colleges working class children Youngsters regular grammar school education given three years preparatory training ABF following Abl maturity eamination Just school students Applicants register themselves BUt usually practice factories delegate youngsters ABF We require ABF applicants musthave skilled worker certificates pupils fromindustry farms Bittner Right especially interested those profession agriculture vince graduates where needed This still another reflection perennial critical shortage skilled workers East Germany The average Bittner pupils young eldest years Deending parents income receivesa scholarship marks month about dollars purchasing power Only marks board spending money The hours classes divided among geometry physics biology chemistry German history music Russian mechanical drawing Marxist studies Second third students French Latin English regular The director ABFs gradually shifting scheme while East German regime expanding evening school adult education correspondence school programs Before percent Germany students working Class declared In German Democratic Republic percent students working class I asked Bittner about relations ABF university There scepticism first Especially among professors But universities demanding graduates As relations between faculties varies Some university fessors actually _tandesdMel professional snobbery rough translation Real collegial relations slowly With instructors easier And course along those professors Party The Party FDGB Trade Union bring together about qualification faculty members Some colleagues still taking correspondence courses Originally percent grammar schools They eacher raining The finished college No PhD This contrast ordinary German schools which equivalent education Nearly school teachers completed their Participation Communist organizations appears manda ABF students Bittner nearly Free German Youth everyone Society Sport Technology paramilitary group He added We especially proud agltation propaganda We prize Berlin In Aitoro nothing school orchestra The director admitted relations between ABF students university undergraduates something desired declined specify Concerning academic world Some factories delegate students insist return In cases contracts students And commitment return becomes basis factory recommendation Do Socialists ABF Bittner answered laconically Some become Party members finish He emphasized polytechnical education ABF Program We sending students ories collective farms month combine practice theory We particularly proud student contributed hours voluntary labor construction Restock Harbor summer marks besides Some conscious class belong They disappointing But whole morale Fifteen thousand hours works about hours student during summer vacation The described thirty years Sandy haired Rudolf Bittner since The mason trained surveyor Then quick succession Joined SED became schoolteacher school principal finally physics instructor GreifswaldABF A native Sudetenlander rather typical expellees quick career Party As I learned expect previous experience realty East German Erruneaschat accomplishment Socialist tlilng None talked classroom Free German Youth although forced DB Join They seemed bored politics their West German brothers Horst Podzlech worked Wismar shipyards before coming Greifswald expects study construction finishes ABF He would joined youth organ ization mother resolute church member turned Horst seemed intereste motor anything His stipend gasoline It Roland Rosolski He appren mechanic Rien wants study alrplans struction He FDJ Asked wanted Join Party whispered No Gerhard Gross another future airplane constructor equally unintereste political development East Germany I asked sports practiced Society Sport Techno You sports All wehave military training shooting reading His classmate pleased I spoke Gross Mister Big explaining Jazzy All students talked spoke their complete isolation Greifswald University We together dance accident Despite general drabness ABF excellent facilities The classrooms large classes small laboratories equipped We toured dormitory found adequate There pinups walls mostly Western stars The political black board corridor legend Self Criticism But board empty Not East German friend dinner He writer conscientious Communist During evening reminisced about In course monologue attended ABF before going university After refugee present commented That typical ABF product never spring shadow The Judgment harsh perhaps accurate applied insecure persons jerked familiar surround dropped quickie course Earlier ABF students tended Germans Hundred flfty percenters Party fanatics opportunist careerists Mean ambitious their elbows their Party membership ahead topsy turvy society DDR But seems vanished ABF Greifswald valid example Moreover there appeared whatever identification toiliag masses They looking forward college better Jobs They weren looking backwards towards their proletarian heritage spite heavy pressure SED And willing military aspect their ABF years bargain caserne domitories weapons training The Party would molds The Journey dreary Moss growing Anklam cathedral New barracks going Pasewalk where Adolf Hitler decided become nationalist forty years before New covered Stettin Autobahn going Slow passed East Berlin without incident Herr KUhn subway station He obviously relieved goodbye although couldn anticipating weekend report writing This first assignment capitalist newspapermen strain Absent West Berlin still welcome sight after miles Germany I I through Brandenburg Gate brightly British Sector Davd Bnder Received New York Febru