In East Germany

At the end of 1975 and beginning of 1976, the foundation by the KPD/ML of its own section in the East Germany was made public. The corresponding declaration was published in Roter Morgen on 7 February 1976.^[3] While the KPD/ML had already been formed in 1968 in West Germany, the nucleus of the East German section emerged within East Germany itself.

In the beginning of the 1970s, some students in the eleventh and twelfth grades at an Extended Secondary School (Erweiterte Oberschule) in East Berlin got together to study the texts of the classical authors of Marxism–Leninism independently of the official version propagated by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). Other interested people among their friends and families joined them, so that, in the course of time, a little circle of employees (in the education and technical fields) and students (of medicine, language and literature) was formed. In reading the basic texts of Marxist–Leninist social theory they came more and more to the conclusion that a deep gap existed between theory and practice in "actually existing socialism".

In Magdeburg, in 1969 and 1970, pupils, students and apprentices got together to form the Progressive Youth (Progressive Jugend), inspired by, among others, the Black Panthers. Besides the classical authors of Marxism–Leninism, various forbidden texts (of Mao, Stalin, the Black Panthers, etc.) were read and discussed by this youth group, whose activities spanned across East Germany and which was composed of around 100 young people. Following the dissolution of the Progressive Youth by the East German authorities, the "hardcore" elements of the Progressive Youth formed a KPD/ML cell in 1976.

In Rostock, too, an autonomous circle of students was formed with a similar political orientation. Being interested in further ideological inspiration, many of these groups and circles – by themselves – got in touch with various left organizations in West Berlin and with the Albanian embassy in East Berlin.

Besides the young people, who were the majority within the East German section, some older, battle-hardened comrades joined the section. For instance, Heinz Reiche, who had spent 11 years in Nazi prisons and concentration camps, took part in activities in Weißwasser (a township south of Cottbus). Reiche had already come into conflict with the SED in the 1950s.

During the following years, the KPD/ML was successful in gaining supporters and organizing them into party cells in East Germany. These cells were inspired by the cell system of the illegal KPD during the Nazi dictatorship. According to declassified Stasi files, almost a dozen such cells were formed by 1980. The total number of members or supporters of the KPD/ML in East Germany amounted to three dozen people. In addition, there were about 50 to 60 sympathizers who were in direct personal contact with the above-mentioned circle.^[4]

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