Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation session

In 1989, 98% of schoolchildren in the GDR were members of the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation, making these regular afternoons an integral part of extracurricular school life.

Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation sessions consisted of a mixture of social activities, adventure, and socialist teaching.

Social activities and adventures included sports, discos, walks, hand-crafts, celebrations or paper chases.

More propaganda-like activities were visits of the Soviet Army and police or lectures about the history of Socialism or the October Revolution.

Furthermore, the school achievements (or the lack thereof) of individual pupils were publicly discussed in these sessions.