Statistical overview on Germany’s social policy since 1945; “Sovijet zone of occupation / German Democratic Republic (GDR)”

The Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Archive jointly published the volume „Geschichte der Sozialpolitik in Deutschland seit 1945“ (= History of Social Policy in Germany since 1945). In the framework of this volume the primary researcher Andre Steiner compiled in collaboration with Matthias Judt and Thomas Reichel a statistical collection – obtained from primary sources – on the social policy of the German Sovjet occupation zone and the former German Democratic Republic. It provides for many statistical benchmarks of social policy usable information in the form of timeseries. Although the newly acquired data has no official status, in many branches of social policy development Steiner’s compilation offers more accurate and more sophisticated data, or at least plausible estimates, whereas the official statistic provides no clear information. With this statistical work a new basis for statistical analysis on social developments and social policy developments of the former German Democratic Republic is offered.
Steiner pointed out, that the basis assumption of the statistical compilation at hand on the GDR’s history is, that the GDR’s official statistics can be used for historical research and that this statistics should also be used. However, the problems and the limits of such a pragmatic approach must be known and should be aware of.

The need for historians to use this data follows for the one thing from the fact, that conversions and return accounts according to western concepts are very labour intensive, and partly with regard of the content these conversions are not appropriate or solvable. For the other thing historical processes can only be evaluated adequate, if the data, which were available at that situation of decision making, are considered (see: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (=Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs), ed, 2006: Statistische Übersichten zur Sozialpolitik in Deutschland seit 1945 (Band SBZ/DDR); athor: Steiner, André in collaboration with Matthias Judt and Thomas Reichel. Bonn, Einleitung (=introduction) S. XIII).

In summary there are the following methodological problems when using the GDR-official statistics:
- the used gross presentation principle
- inconsistent prices as assessement criterion
- only restricted assimilable indicators of qualitative developments as well as changing definitions for the data gathering and changing frameworks.

Data tables in the search- and downloadsystem HISTAT (Topic: Sozialleistungen, Sozialversicherung, Sozialbudget (= social benefits, social insurances, social budget) ):

Information: HISTAT is offered only in German language.

There are numerous data tables among the topics.

Teil A:
A.1 Bevölkerung und Privathaushalte (=population and private households);
A.2. Staatshaushalt und Sozialsystem (=national budget and social system);
A.3. Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtdaten (=national income account);
A.4. Bilanz der Geldeinnahmen und –ausgaben der Bevölkerung und der Arbeiter- und Angestelltenhaushalte (= Balance of receipts and expenditures of the population and of the workers‘ and white-collar workers‘ households).

Teil B:
B.1. Zur Arbeitsverfassung (= about labour relations);
B.2 Arbeitsschutz (= safety at work);
B.3 Arbeitskräftegewinnung und Arbeitskräftelenkung (= recruitment and controling of labour);
B.4 Sicherung bei Krankheit, Unfall sowie Alter, Invalidität und für Hinterbliebene (= social insurance: illness, accidents, old age, disability, and for the bereaved)
B.5. Gesundheitswesen (=health care system);
B.6 Rehabilitation und Hilfe für Behinderte (= rehabilitation and help for disabled);
B.7 Fürsorge (= care);
B.8. Familien- und Altenpolitik (=family policy and policy in relation to the elderly);
B.9. Bildungspolitik (= educational policy);
B.10 Nichtstaatliche soziale Infrastruktur (= non-public social infrastructure);
B.11 Wohnungspolitik (= housing policy).