Editing East Germany (section)

=== Organization ===
[[File:SED Logo.svg|right|thumb|upright|SED logotype: the Communist–Social Democrat handshake of [[Wilhelm Pieck]] and [[Otto Grotewohl]], establishing the SED in 1946]]
{{further|Constitution of East Germany}}
The ruling political party in East Germany was the {{lang|de|Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands}} ([[Socialist Unity Party of Germany]]; SED). It was created in 1946 through the Soviet-directed merger of the [[Communist Party of Germany]] (KPD) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD) in the Soviet-controlled zone. However, the SED quickly transformed into a full-fledged communist party as the more independent-minded social democrats were pushed out.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{harvnb|Weitz|1997|p={{page needed|date=September 2021}}}}</ref>

The Potsdam Agreement committed the Soviets to support a democratic form of government in Germany, though the Soviets' understanding of democracy was radically different from that of the West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Potsdam Conference, 1945 |url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=history.state.gov}}</ref> As in other Soviet Bloc countries, [[Bloc party (politics)|non-communist political parties]] were allowed. Nevertheless, every political party in the GDR was forced to join the [[National Front (East Germany)|National Front of Democratic Germany]], a broad coalition of parties and mass political organisations, which included:
* {{lang|de|Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands}} ([[Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)|Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]; CDU), which merged with the West German [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]] after reunification;
* {{lang|de|Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands}} ([[Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany]]; DBD), which party merged with the West German [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]] after reunification;
* {{lang|de|Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands}} ([[Liberal Democratic Party of Germany]]; LDPD), which merged with the West German [[Free Democratic Party of Germany|FDP]] after reunification;
* {{lang|de|Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands}} ([[National Democratic Party of Germany (East Germany)|National Democratic Party of Germany]]; NDPD), which merged with the West German [[Free Democratic Party of Germany|FDP]] after reunification.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

[[File:Berlin, Palast der Republik -- um 1990 -- 2.jpg|thumb|The [[Palace of the Republic (Berlin)|Palast der Republik]], seat of the [[Volkskammer]]]]
[[File:Berlin DDR.jpg|thumb|Poster with the inscription "{{lang|de|Berlin – Hauptstadt der DDR}}", 1967]]
The member parties were almost completely subservient to the SED and had to accept its "[[vanguard party|leading role]]" as a condition of their existence. However, the parties did have representation in the Volkskammer and received some posts in the government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1949-89: Volkskammer of the GDR (East-Germany) |url=https://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2007/0206/htdocs_e/history/parlia/east_1949_89.html |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=webarchiv.bundestag.de}}</ref>

The Volkskammer also included representatives from the [[mass movement (politics)|mass organisations]] like the [[Free German Youth]] ({{lang|de|Freie Deutsche Jugend}}; FDJ), or the [[Free German Trade Union Federation]]. There was also the [[Democratic Women's Federation of Germany]], with seats in the {{lang|de|Volkskammer}}.

Important non-parliamentary mass organisations in East German society included the German Gymnastics and Sports Association ({{lang|de|[[Deutscher Turn- und Sportbund]]}}; DTSB), and the [[People's Solidarity]] ({{lang|de|Volkssolidarität}}), an organisation for the elderly. Another society of note was the [[Society for German–Soviet Friendship]].

After the fall of socialism, the SED transformed into the [[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Party of Democratic Socialism]] (PDS), which continued for a decade after reunification, before merging with the West German [[Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative|WASG]] to form the [[Left Party (Germany)|Left Party]] ({{lang|de|Die Linke}}). The Left Party continues to be a political force in many parts of Germany, albeit drastically less powerful than the SED.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarotte |first=Mary Elise |title=1989: The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe |date=2014 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |edition=2nd |location=Princeton, NJ}}</ref>