Our topic in October is the DDR – the Deutsche Demokratische Republik.

The DDR (GDR in English) existed from 7th October 1949 until 2nd October 1990 and was created out of the Soviet occupation zone as a repsonse to the creation of the German Federal Republic several weeks earlier.

Today we talk about the creation and the economic and political systems that we set in place in the DDR and how the country was structured.  We also talk our own personal experiences when visiting the country.

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DPSG stands for Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg.  In Germany there is more than one Scouting organisation, who together make up the officially recognised Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände.  The DPSG is a Catholic Scout organisation.

The DPSG was formed in 1929 – 22 years after the first Scout Camp in England.  The four sections are called Wölflinge, Jungpfadfinder, Pfadfinder and Rover. The leaders are called Leiter and Leiterinnen.  The organisation is divided into Diözesen – the Catholic Diocese areas, eg. the Diözese Mainz.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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DRK stands for Deutsches Rotes Kreuz – the German branch of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

It is an organisation that is made up of volunteers as well as part- or fulltime employees.  They not only offer first aid courses and medical assistance at large events, but often Hausnotruf – an emergency service for elderly people, meals on wheels, and organise blood donation sessions (Blutspende).

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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MwSt is the abbreviation for Mehrwertsteuer, which is also known as Umsatzsteuer (USt).  This is the equivalent to VAT in the UK.

At present, MwSt is 19% for most items in Germany, with some items such as basic foodstuffs and books being only 7%.  For some goods and services (eg. stamps) there is currently no MwSt.

The term “Mehrwertsteuer” was introduced in 1968, but the principles were first introduced as a form of stamp duty in 1916.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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GmbH stands for Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung.  It is one of the possible ways to register a company in Germany.

Companies that are formed as GmbH have one or more Geschäftsführer.  They have a limited liability which is declared when the company is founded and entered into the Handelsregister.

AG stands for Aktiengesellschaft.  It is another way to register a company in Germany.  It is roughly equivalent to a PLC (public limited company) in the UK, or a Corporation in the USA.

An AG has a Vorstand and an Aufsichtsrat – the board of directory and the supervisory board.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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