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German History in Documents and Images
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"Ten Commandments for the New Socialist Man" (1963)
Walter Ulbricht proclaimed the “Ten Commandments of Socialist Morality” at the SED's 5th Party Congress in July 1958. They were supposed to embody the principles of Socialist ethics and morality and guide the behavior of every GDR citizen. They were later incorporated into the SED party platform. In the photograph below, taken in 1963, a framed copy of the “Ten Commandments for the New Socialist Man” can be seen in the stairwell of a school in the Agricultural Production Cooperative Schenkenberg (Brandenburg). The banner underneath the poster announces: “We love our Republic. With Walter Ulbricht for Germany’s Happiness.” Photo by Abisag Tüllmann.