The Peasants Mutual Aid Association (german: Vereinigung der gegenseitigen Bauernhilfe, VdgB) was an

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

mass organization A mass movement denotes a political party or movement which is supported by large segments of a population. Political movements that typically advocate the creation of a mass movement include the ideologies of communism, fascism, and liberalism. Bo ...

for

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...

s and

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

s, later also gardeners. It was founded in the 1945–1946 period and was a participant in the National Front. From 1950 to 1963 and again in 1986, it had representation in the

Volkskammer __NOTOC__ The Volkskammer (, ''People's Chamber'') was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic (colloquially known as East Germany). The Volkskammer was initially the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The upper house ...

. In 1989, a GDR publication put the membership of the VdgB at 632,000 persons. During the

Peaceful Revolution The Peaceful Revolution (german: Friedliche Revolution), as a part of the Revolutions of 1989, was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany's borders with the West, the end of the ruling of the Socialist Unity ...

, the VdgB suffered because of its extensive connections with the ruling Socialist Unity Party.Jonathan Osmond & Rachel Alsop. ''German Reunification: A Reference Guide and Commentary''. 1992. p. 211. In February 1990, it changed its name to the Farmers Association of the GDR but was unable to make the transition from East German society to that of a reunified

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It was fully liquidated in 1994. From 1979 to 1990, the VdgB operated the

Ringberghaus The Ringberghaus (German for: ''Ringberg house''), also often called Ringberghotel is a hotel east of the German city Suhl. In the 1970s, it was one of the most controversially discussed new buildings in the Suhl area. Location The Ringberghaus ...

, a large hotel east of the city of

Suhl Suhl () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located SW of Erfurt, NE of Würzburg and N of Nuremberg. With its 37,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest of the six urban districts within Thuringia. Together with its northern neighbour-town Zella- ...

. The hotel's purpose was to provide accommodation for farmers on holiday in the

Thuringian Forest The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German), is a mountain range in the southern parts of the German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorge on its north-west side i ...

, and a VdgB voucher was required for lodging.

Chairmen of the VdgB

References

External links

Association for Mutual Farmers Assistance 1949–1990 (East Germany)
{{Authority control Organisations based in East Germany Mass organisations of East Germany 1940s establishments in Germany