In the following decades, the increased pressure from the government of the GDR built on the Apostolic See, has its own Bishops' Conference as "auctoritas territorialis" and on July 10, 1974 submitted to the ambassador of the GDR in Italy to the Holy See a formal proposal to the East German government, to lead talks at foreign minister level.
Great importance was attached to the wording of the statute of the German Bishops' Conference, being confirmed on September 25, 1976 by the Apostolic See.
Görlitz, formerly part of the Archdiocese of Breslau, was Archbishop Office, later Apostolic Administration.
The other areas were to dioceses canonically established on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.
An appreciation of apostolic administrations remained in contrary to the wishes of the East German government.