동독 사회주의 소비협동조합의 발생과 성장

Abstract

In the GDR it was the main objective to build and achieve the socialist society. For this it was a necessary condition(conditio sine qua non) to found one united organization and to gain control over the various, very different ideologies and the corresponding property rights the aim being to be able to clearly formulate the essence of a socialist conscience and to put this into practice in peoples everyday life. Consumers co-operatives were formed to this end and as a political mass organization they were incorporated into building the socialist system right from the beginning. Regarding their topics, their peculiarities and their characteristics these consumers co-operatives differed substantially from the market-oriented type of co-operative that aims at promoting its members. This means that in the process of building the socialist society and its command economy, the consumers co-operatives were ideologized, politicized, officialized, bureaucratized and finally socialized for the masses. Therefore, it is indispensable to immediately restore co-operative values, principles and functions which have been either lost or severely offended during the 40-year-long command economy. Only then it will be possible for the socialist consumers co-operatives of the former GDR to re- assume their original role and function within market-oriented countries.