Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, the SED foreign-currency procurer and head of KoKo ("Commercial Coordination"), conveys Erich Honecker’s severe warning to Franz Josef Strauss that the "hatches" (to West Germany) would be "battened down" if trade with the GDR were to be "restricted or stopped". In this case, the GDR would "solve its tasks with the aid of Comecon".more
8 June
1983
In a spectacular operation by the GDR State Security, Roland Jahn, a member of the Jena peace group, is deported to the West against his stated will. The Ministry for Security steps up its clampdown on dissident groups. Jahn had been arrested on 1 September 1982 after he took part in a demonstration in support of the Polish union "Solidarity".
16 June
1983
Pope John Paul II visits his homeland, Poland, meeting among other things with the leader of the banned union "Solidarity", Lech Walesa, on 23 June.
29 June
1983
The West German government approves a government guarantee for a loan of one billion DM that the GDR wants to take out from West German banks. The loan has been arranged over the past weeks by Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski as GDR representative and Franz Josef Strauss.more
29 June
1983
The committee of the Ministry for Security deliberates on the global situation, the situation of the GDR (motto: "Behind every incident is an unknown enemy") and requests to migrate. Regarding "unlawful migration applicants," it states: "We must know what value these people have for our socialist society, what development they have undergone in our state, what they have become.
It remains clear that there will be no exceptions made on decisions regarding migration for bearers of official secrets within the stipulated period; it is also clear that enemies are treated as enemies. But when, even after all social possibilities have been tried, there is no chance of winning these people back, when we have to do with so-called ‘incorrigibles’, corresponding decision proposals are to be made more quickly. No abscesses should be allowed to form. In such cases, there must be no delay; there must be quick action."less
