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Socialist Unity Party of Germany

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Socialist Unity Party of Germany

Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands
AbbreviationSED
Founded21 April 1946
Dissolved16 December 1989
NewspaperNeues Deutschland
Youth wingFree German Youth
Membership (1989)2,260,979
Political orientationMarxism–Leninism
Election symbol


The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) was the vanguard of the East German working class, as well as the most popular party in the German Democratic Republic. Despite never holding a majority of seats on the Volkskammer (the most was 30% in 1949),[1] the GDR is referred to as a one-party state by the corporate media. Party members had to pay dues and use significant amounts of time in party meetings, and they were strongly discouraged from having friends in the West. Despite these disadvantages, over 10% of the population joined the party.[2]

History[edit | edit source]

In 1946, the Social Democratic Party and Communist Party merged to form the Socialist Unity Party. The Socialist Unity Party was part of the National Front along with several other parties, including some non-leftist parties. In 1989, the party was split into the Social Democratic Party and the Party for Democratic Socialism, which finished second and third respectively behind the right-wing Alliance for Germany.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Dieter Nohlen, Philip Stöver (2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook (pp. 771–792). ISBN 9783832956097
  2. Austin Murphy (2000). The Triumph of Evil: 'A Detailed Autopsy of the Collapse of the Superior System in the Divided Germany' (p. 128). [PDF] Fucecchio: European Press Academic Publishing. ISBN 8883980026