The party table as a symbol of power
The power of the party was omnipresent in the GDR. It was considered inviolable, based on the classics of Marxism-Leninism. But behind the ideology stood the concrete and everyday power of the bureaucratic apparatus. It found its symbolic expression in the desk of the political bureaucrat. Individual officials were interchangeable, but the desk remained – at least in the minds of those in power. Decisions were made at the desk, where officials scribbled their signatures on important papers and where destinies were decided. The secrets of power were stored in steel cabinets: personnel files, reports, minutes with corresponding confidentiality stamps.
Powerful administrators, powerless against the hierarchy
At the same time, every administrator of power was completely powerless when it came to the higher echelons. The hierarchy was clearly reflected in the design of the offices. The top party cadres – all of whom were men – loved wood-panelled walls, upholstered sofa corners and heavy carpets, very much in the Soviet style. The middle ranks were more modest.
We opted for this level in our permanent exhibition. The original object comes from Frankfurt (Oder) Town Hall. The T-shape of the office furniture arrangement was typical. A consultation table was placed next to the supervisor's desk, where subordinates or visitors had to sit. The official sat enthroned behind his desk in a comfortable armchair. The lower ranks sat cramped together on simple chairs. The seating arrangement was always important in the state of workers and farmers.
The official hid everything personal in his drawers: his service weapon, the Soviet army Makarov pistol, important regulations and, as a last resort in moments of self-doubt, a bottle of schnapps.
The party desk in the exhibition
In the exhibition at the DDR Museum, the desk symbolically stands at the centre of the state structure. Like rays of sunshine, all »blessings« emanate from the administrator of power. Conversely, the strands of information converge here. A popular phrase in officialese was: This or that »goes across my desk!« As if their writing surface were a miniature world with movable figures.
The themes of this exhibition area are grouped around the desk: the brotherhood with the Soviet Union, defence, the state authorities, the economy and the security of the state border. Visitors are invited to sink into the armchair of the political bureaucrat, and a call from the secretary is put through. However, the sip from the schnapps bottle must remain symbolic, and the model of the service pistol is also under glass. Otherwise, one can enjoy for a moment the power that thought itself eternal and yet rested on feet of clay.
