History of Europe

LPG:From small farmers to agricultural comrades in the GDR

The first agricultural production cooperative was founded in the GDR 70 years ago. In July, the SED then officially decides to collectivize agriculture. Tens of thousands of small farmers join forces to form LPGs.

LPG - there are three letters that stand for the agricultural system of the GDR:agricultural production cooperatives. At first glance, it doesn't look like working together. On the contrary:in the fall of 1945, a land reform began in the Soviet occupation zone, combined with a wave of expropriation by landowners. More than 12,000 farms, each at least 100 hectares in size, will be nationalized into public land funds. A little later they come into new hands, divided into areas of five to ten hectares. Former workers from agriculture and industry, but also many refugees from the East are now beginning to build up a livelihood as independent small farmers - a total of more than half a million people.

The SED counteracts

The land reform has far-reaching consequences, particularly in regions with large estates, such as today's Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Instead of productive estates, thousands of mostly inexperienced smallholders now work on areas that are hardly profitable to cultivate. In 1952 the GDR leadership also recognized the misery and reacted.

"Walter Ulbricht" becomes the first LPG in the GDR

On June 8th, the first LPG with the name "Walter Ulbricht" is founded - voluntarily, but presumably not entirely without pressure from party officials.

At its meeting from July 9th to 12th in Berlin, the 2nd party conference of the SED then officially decides to restructure the agricultural economy with agricultural production cooperatives. Three types are now possible:

  • Type I:Farmers only bring in their land.
  • Type II:Machines are also shared.
  • Type III:Livestock are also part of the commons.

Every LPG that is agreed according to a model statute and confirmed by the state is considered a legally independent company. The land remains the property of the farmers. Not only farmers, but every GDR citizen can join an LPG. All members receive performance-related wages and profit sharing.

Joining the LPG was not always voluntary

LPG advertising poster:From 1952, farmers were urged to join a production cooperative.

Many small farmers, especially those with poor soils, join the new communities. Others are pushed into the LPG by state distribution policies, for example in the case of seeds and fertilizers, or by social pressure. According to the state leadership, entry into an LPG should take place on a voluntary basis. In most cases, however, the reality is different. The state is trying to force farmers to join the LPG through economic restrictions imposed by the SED leadership on farmers with more than 20 hectares each - they are considered large farmers -, increasing tax obligations, economic disadvantage compared to the LPGs and a lack of supplies of means of production and building materials .

GDR achieves goal of complete collectivization in 1960

Many farmers evade this attrition tactic by fleeing. The abandoned land is expropriated without obtaining the consent of the owners and integrated into the LPG. Before the goal of complete collectivization was reached in 1960, the county and district authorities sent agitation squads into the villages to force the last peasants not willing to join to join production cooperatives. In the so-called socialist spring, from March to May 1960, more than 498,000 farmers joined the LPG.

From 1960 there were hardly any self-employed farmers in the GDR. First of all, the LPG type III prevails with the highest degree of cooperation. Later, specialized cooperatives develop from this, which are dedicated exclusively to animal breeding or arable farming.