Герман Халық Полициясы: Шығыс Германияның тарихы

National police force of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

The Deutsche Volkspolizei (DVP, German for "German People's Police"), commonly known as the Volkspolizei or VoPo, was the national uniformed police force of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1945 to 1990. The Volkspolizei was a highly centralized agency responsible for most civilian law enforcement in East Germany, maintaining 257,500 personnel at its peak. It worked closely along with the Stasi to maintain public order and identify threats to the regime.

The Volkspolizei was effectively founded in June 1945 when the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SVAG) established central police forces in the regions of Nazi Germany it occupied following after World War II. The SVAG approved the arming of community level police forces on 31 October 1945, but nevertheless remained a non militarised force, and by 1946 the Volkspolizei comprised some 22,000 personnel. The police force experienced several challenges at this time: the proportion of non trained personnel between 65 and 95% undermined its professionalism and turnover rates of personnel were initially as high as 50%, affecting the stability of the workforce. By 1948, Volkspolizei membership had increased to approximately 65,000, but there were still issues of political unreliability and insufficient professional aptitude, which prompted a purge of 10,000 from the force in 1949; as a consequence, 86% of its membership were now members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany. It was formally referred to as the Deutsche Volkspolizei ("German People's Police") from May 1949 onward, three months before the GDR's founding. It was dissolved during German reunification in 1990, and was superseded by the Bundespolizei of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Landespolizei of the reconstituted states of Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony Anhalt, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg West Pomerania and Berlin.

With the exception of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei, whose grey green uniforms follow the style of the East German National People’s Army (Nationale Volksarmee NVA), all Volkspolizei services wore the same basic uniform adopted in 1956 when it was officially established. There were various kinds of uniforms, worn according to the work or social situation and differing in material for summer or winter wear. Most uniforms — service, semi dress, and parade — are gray green but the transport police wore dark blue. The better quality and texture of the cloth in officers' uniforms distinguished them from the uniforms of enlisted personnel. The field and service uniforms became normal attire in garrison and for most other duty activities. The basic categories of uniforms were field, service, semi dress, and parade. Field uniforms (Felddienstuniform) were for only the Kasernierte Volkspolizei. The field uniform consisted of the NVA's service uniform. The uniform was worn with a field cap, service cap, or steel helmet; high black boots; and a leather belt with vertical web shoulder suspenders. In the winter, a quilted stone grey padded suit without a camouflage pattern is worn over the service uniform. The winter uniform also includes a fur pile cap or a steel helmet, boots, knitted grey gloves, belt, and suspenders. The service uniform (Dienstuniform) was a summer service uniform for officers with a bloused jacket, worn without a shirt, trousers, and a visored service cap, worn by all Volkspolizei members except for the Kasernierte, along with the Ausgangsuniform. The winter service uniform version featured a jacket that had four large patch pockets with button down tabs, worn with a black belt, the service cap, breeches, shirt, tie, belt, and high boots are provided for officers and NCOs. Enlisted and NCO caps had green piping, but Officer caps had silver piping for junior to mid level officers and gold piping for senior officers. For winter, a long, heavy, belted overcoat was worn. The semi dress uniform (Ausgangsuniform), except in details, was the same for all ranks and was worn on off duty or off post occasions. It included the service cap, jacket, long trousers, and black low quarter shoes. The single breasted jacket was worn without a belt, with a white or grey green shirt and a green tie. Officers were allowed to wear the jacket with a white shirt. During periods of warm summer weather, either the shirt and tie or the jacket may be omitted. For a while a double breasted jacket could be worn as optional wear by officers and warrant officers. The parade uniform (Paradeuniform) for officers was the semi dress jacket worn with all awards and decorations, breeches and riding boots, steel helmet or police shako (Tschako) from 1950 to the late 1960s, white shirt, green neck tie, and a ceremonial dagger on the left side, fastened to a silver grey parade belt. Officers in guards of honour carry sabres. In winter, overcoat, scarf, and gloves were worn. The type of work uniform (Arbeitsuniform) worn was governed by seasonal considerations and weather. Generally, reconditioned items of service clothing; field, semi dress and winter padded uniforms; some dyed black, were issued for all types of fatigue and maintenance details. Coveralls are also used by the lower ranks, especially heavy vehicle and flying personnel. Officers in technical branches supervising fatigue details wear a laboratory style smock. Other types of Volkspolizei uniforms existed. High ranking officers occasionally wore white uniforms, or at least a white jacket similar to those worn by Generals in the National People's Army, and staff officers were supplied with staff service uniforms. Women had their own uniforms consisting of jackets, skirts or slacks, blouses, caps, boots or pumps, and other appropriate items in accordance with the season and the occasion. Traffic police, motorcyclists, armoured vehicle personnel, and others have special items of apparel. Volkspolizei uniform initially had green waffenfarben, but later reverted to white except for the transport police who wore blue. The uniform of the Kasernierte Volkspolizei is distinguished from that of the NVA ground force and Air Defence Force by a green armband with large silver letters identifying the wearer's affiliation.