In 1964, East Germany introduced an alternative, unarmed military service that recognized religious belief as a basis for conscientious objection. In a new category of military unit, pacifists performed construction tasks. While accepting a compromise to wear a military uniform, many construction soldiers (Bausoldaten) refused to conform to the military’s expectations. Some refused to take the service vow and to work on projects with a direct military orientation. They established the principle that there was more to Bausoldat service than simply getting through the eighteen months of wearing a uniform. As civilians, they continued their advocacy by forming networks and local peace groups that became the foundation of a broader social movement committed to peace. Drawing on oral history interviews, Party-State files, military and secret police documents, and church records, Constructing Peace focuses on the development of this activism amongst the first two cohorts of Bausoldaten in the mid-1960s.

David Doellinger is Professor of History at Western Oregon University. He is the author of Turning Prayers into Protests: Religious-Based Activism and its Challenge to State Power in Socialist Slovakia and East Germany (2013).

List of Photos
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. The Church’s Response to Obligatory Military Service
2. Conscientious Objectors Refuse to Serve in the Military
3. Making an Alternative Service for Conscientious Objectors
4. The First Bausoldaten begin their Service (and Refuse to take the Vow)
5. Navigating the New World of Alternative Service as Bausoldaten
6. Refusing Work Projects
7. Pastoral Care for Military Conscripts
8. Activism as Former Bausoldaten
9. The Second Cohort of Bausoldaten: New Arguments for Old Problems
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index