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Institutional Change of the Agricultural Administration and Rural Associations in East Germany before and after Unification

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  • Wolz, Axel

Abstract

With the collapse of the socialist regime in East Germany in late 1989 and the rising political call for unification in early 1990, a radical and abrupt change of the institutional structure became necessary. Among others, the (agricultural) administration had to be totally restructured. This referred not only to substance, functions and tasks which had to be adjusted, similar to most other transition economies, to the market-economic and pluralistic democratic system, but also the whole administrative set-up had to be re-established in line with the West German system (territorial re-organisation). Hence, a new administrative system had to be built up in the East, while simultaneously the socialist one had to be dismantled. This transformation process implied the recruitment of new staff and had to be carried out in a very short period. However, different to the other transition economies, there had been strong support from the West in re-organising the administration. Overall, this institutional change seems to have been accomplished successfully as billions of Deutsch Mark could be processed by the agricultural administration in 1990 in order to avoid an imminent collapse of the agricultural sector. In addition, the new administration also comprised the set-up of a specialised agency in charge of state property. This office while originally anticipated to last for a short period only, still operates today. Similarly, the organisations representing the agricultural population had to be re-organised. The re-organisation of the German Farmers’ Union is of special prominence as both German parts were representing completely different agricultural models. Nevertheless, this is the only important organisation at national level where East Germans could stay in decision-making positions after unification. This had severe repercussions when shaping transformation policies affecting the agricultural sector in East Germany during the 1990s. Der Zusammenbruch des sozialistischen Regimes Ende 1989 sowie der immer lauter werdenden Ruf nach politischer Einheit seit Beginn 1990 bedingte einen schnellen und radikalen Bruch der ostdeutschen Institutionen. Dieser Bruch umfasste auch eine komplette Neuausrichtung der (landwirtschaftlichen) Verwaltung. Ähnlich wie in den anderen Transformationsländern Mittel- und Osteuropas mussten die Inhalte, Funktionen und Aufgaben entsprechend den Anforderungen einer demokratischen Gesellschaft sowie der Marktwirtschaft angepasst werden. Darüber hinaus musste jedoch die Verwaltungsstruktur Ostdeutschland dem verwaltungsmäßigen (territorialen) Aufbau Westdeutschland angepasst werden. In der Praxis bedeutete dies, dass die sozialistische Struktur abgebaut und aufgelöst, während gleichzeitig eine neue aufgebaut wurde. Dieser Prozess bedingte auch die komplett neue Einstellung von Personal, obwohl Ehemalige sich neu bewerben konnten. Der Zeitrahmen für diese Transformation war extrem begrenzt. Im Unterschied zu den anderen Transformationsländern konnte hierbei jedoch auf die massive Unterstützung durch Westdeutschland zurückgegriffen werden. Zurückblickend ist diese Transformation der Agrarverwaltung sehr erfolgreich verlaufen, da in dieser Periode ohne nennenswerte Probleme Milliarden von DM an die landwirtschaftlichen Betriebe ausgereicht wurden, um den drohenden Zusammenbruch der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion zu verhindern. Die landwirtschaftliche Verwaltung musste jedoch nicht nur transformiert werden, sondern es wurden neue Veraltungseinheiten geschaffen, besonders um das Staatseigentum an Grund und Boden mit dem Ziel einer raschen Privatisierung zu verwalten. Allerdings erhielt diese Verwaltungseinheit, die ursprünglich nur auf kurze Zeit ausgelegt war, im Laufe der Jahre einen permanenten Charakter. Neben der Verwaltung mussten sich auch die landwirtschaftlichen Verbände neu organisieren. Von besonderer Bedeutung war die Vereinigung und Neuausrichtung des Deutschen Bauernverbandes, da beide Ursprungsverbände ein völlig konträres landwirtschaftliches Leitbild vertraten. Dies ist jedoch der einzig bedeutende Verband Deutschlands, in dem ostdeutsche Personen nach der Vereinigung an der Verbandsspitze verblieben sind. Diese Konstellation hatte tiefgreifende Auswirkungen auf die Ausgestaltung der Agrarstrukturpolitik in Ostdeutschland während der ersten Jahre nach der Vereinigung.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolz, Axel, 2011. "Institutional Change of the Agricultural Administration and Rural Associations in East Germany before and after Unification," IAMO Discussion Papers 109916, Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:iamodp:109916
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.109916
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    1. repec:zbw:iamodp:184335 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Petrick, Martin, 2014. "Modernising Russia's cattle and dairy sectors under WTO conditions: Insights from East Germany [Die Modernisierung der russischen Rinder- und Milchproduktion unter WTO-Bedingungen: Erfahrungen aus ," IAMO Discussion Papers 150, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy;

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • P21 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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