In a bid to counter the GDR's economic crisis, Erich Honecker asks his economics experts to come up with proposals for price rises. The stability of consumer prices has up to now been seen as one of the unimpeachable achievements of the unity of economic and social policies.
For years, a bread roll has cost five pfennigs, a kilogram of bread 60 pfennigs, a bockwurst 80 pfennigs, a kilogram of pork chops eight marks, an underground or rail ticket in East Berlin 20 pfennigs, postage also 20 pfennigs and electricity eight pfennigs per kilowatt/hour.
When the proposals for price rises are finally presented, Honecker ends up backing down in November. The State Security has warned him that price hikes would have a shock effect on the people and could provoke "counter-revolutionary rioting".
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