Freiwilliger Helfer der Volkspolizei
Voluntary Auxiliary of the People's Police
The East German government established on September 25, 1952, the Freiwilliger Helfer der Volkspolizei (English Voluntary Auxiliary of the People´s Police), abbreviated 'FH'. Officially the FH should assist the Volkspolizei to fight crime and border violation and to protect public goods.[1] Furthermore, there should have been an educational effect for the East Germans, because the FH volunteers were on patrol in residential areas, on plants and in collectives. The FH volunteers fulfilled their patrol missions in plain clothes, but were identifiable on their armband. This auxiliary police service was defunct a few days before the German reunification in 1990.
Duties and responsibilities
The FH had the right to do traffic control and were also called for search and manhunt operations.[2][3]
See also
- Auxiliary police
- Auxiliary state police forces in Germany
- Auxiliary police reserve, FPR in Berlin
- People´s Police of East Germany
References
- ↑ Eingangsworte der Verordnung über die Zulassung und die Tätigkeit freiwilliger Helfer zur Unterstützung der Deutschen Volkspolizei und der Grenztruppen der NVA vom 16. März 1964
- ↑ Verordnung über die freiwilligen Helfer der Deutschen Volkspolizei vom 1. April 1982 § 5 Abs. 1
- ↑ § 8 Absatz 2 des Volkspolizeigesetzes der DDR