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The East German police: the Volkspolizei

East Germany Investigated

113,377 views

The former East German police was called Volkspolizei, the people’s police.
This video is the story of its existence from 1949 till 1990.

Link to the NVA video:The East German Army: The NVA

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www.eastgermanyinvestigated.com

Thanks to Paul Webster for his support and to a friend for having me use her Personalausweis for this video.

If you want to know more, I recommend this book, that I used as one of the sources for this video:
Das grosse Buch der Volkspolizei - Dieter Schulze
https://amzn.to/4bU4ymW (the current edition is unfortunately sold out)

Pictures:
Many pictures come form the book Die Volkspolizei - Verlag Zeit im Bild
• Vopos 1949 - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R0210-371 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• East German guards wait for the official opening of the Brandenburg Gate – By SSGT F. Lee Corkran - http://www.defenseimagery.mil; VIRIN: DF-ST-91-03529, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Abschnittsbevollmächtigter - By André Karwath aka Aka - Own Work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Border police with dog (1956) - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-42998-0006 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Deutsche Grenzpolizei (1956) - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-42998-0011 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Prison in Bützow – By JVA Bützow - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• NVA Berlin (1985) – By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1985-0508-018 / Settnik, Bernd / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• The ‘Ordnungspolizei’ controlling Jews in Lublin (1941) - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-019-1224-10 / Wirthgen / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Hausbuch entries (1952) – By Maximilian Schönherr - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Kasernierte Volkspolizei (1953) - By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-19400-0127 / Krueger, Wolfgang / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Shako – www.ratisbons.com
• Luger pistol - By Luger_IMG_6768.jpg: Rama - Luger_IMG_6768.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Luger – model drawing - By Rock Island Auction Co. - https://www.rockislandauction.com/det..., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• CZ model Z pistol – www.onlinehuntingauctions.com
• 1001 pistol - www.thies-schmid-waffenauktionen.de
• Makarow pistol – By Razumhak - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Walther pp pistol – By Michael Sullivan - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• MPi41 - By Lposka - File:PPSh-41_from_soviet.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• AKM rifle - By Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Wartburg 353 – By Autorius Fiver, der Hellseher - Mano darbas, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• Wolga GAZ 24 - ByThomas Doerfer – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• MZ BK350 – By Joachim Köhler - Diese Datei wurde von diesem Werk abgeleitet: ZweiRadMuseumNSU IFA BK350.JPG– Bearbeitung: Spurzem (Diskussion) 20:40, 2 May 2023 (UTC) (teilweise freigestellt), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• MZ ES250 – By Johannes Maximilian - Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
• MZ ETZ250 – By Ch vik - Own Work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

20 Comments

@RTDoh5 6 months ago (edited)

Suggestion for future topics:

1) The Postal service in East Germany - including postage stamps
2) The telephone service in East Germany
3) Radio Berlin International (East German Shortwave service) - I actually still have some QSL cards from them.

@TheMotz55 6 months ago

During the mid 80s, a friend and I crossed into East Berlin from West Berlin. Early that evening, we were stopped by the VoPos and asked to furnish IDs. My friend who was from Comoros (small island nation off Africa's southeastern coast) was taken into custody because the police did not recognize his passport and thought it was fake. After a lot of discussion, they pulled out a map of the world to find it. After a few laughs, he was released.

@skeetrix 6 months ago

im a simple man-i see east germany investigated, i click

@johnkern217 6 months ago

I was starting to miss your video's, good to see you back.

@sansaaaaa202 6 months ago

you're one of the better youtubers and I eagerly await every video you publish about a country nobody in my family ever visited and that stopped existing when I was five years old

@Necromancer_Bob 6 months ago

Call the Volkspolizei because the hairstyle at 3:14 is criminal.

@edwardloomis887 6 months ago

Interesting. West Berlin polizei were separate from West Germany, and their arms rooms reflected that. I visited my battalion's partnership unit, stepped into a pristine storage area, and was impressed to see racks full on MP-5s and MG-3s. The Polizei were telling us they had the firepower to deal with Soviet Speznaz special forces we expected to pop up in our rear area

@shakiMiki 6 months ago

I am surprised by how interested I am in East Germany. It is down to your great, engaging videos. With their well chosen topics. Thank you.

@azrael1982PL 6 months ago

My father had a bad experience with them in the 80s. When he was travelling across East Germany, he was stopped by them and fined - he was supposed to pay 100 Marks. Howver, after taking out his wallet, one of the officers grabbed it and took... 100 West German Marks by himself.

@robertmead9234 6 months ago

Love your videos, as I have always been fascinated by the Iron Curtain countries. Wish you posted more often, but each video worth the wait! 😊

@TheRichardSpearman 6 months ago

Very informative. Visiting the DDR regularly in the 1980s by car, I encountered several Volkspolizei officers, and always found them polite and efficient. I recall flying in to Tegel airport in 1990, and observed a West Berlin police officer patrolling he airport with a former Volkspolizei officer, both in their distinctive uniforms.

@jacobhyde9367 5 months ago

Great job! I am so glad you make these videos. Thank you!

@kevinkoster4543 6 months ago

It’s been way too long. Thanks for posting again and glad to see you’re doing well!

@inigoromon1937 6 months ago

Please do a chapter on medicine in the DDR. I was told they were good doctors and nurses but lacked supplies and technology.

@twentyrothmans7308 6 months ago (edited)

VoPos! I am having a really bad day, you have pleased me. Dank U wel.
I should also point out that I saw the East German army parading in Berlin, April 1985. It was near the Brandenburg Gate, I think. That Soviet memorial?
We have learned nothing from all this.