E. Germany Gets Power to Seize Assets of Old Communist Elite

East German lawmakers gave the government broad powers Thursday to seize land, houses and businesses controlled by the privileged elite of the old Communist regime.

The action freezes the party’s vast holdings--amassed after it came to power after World War II--just four weeks before the nation merges its economy with West Germany’s and begins shifting state property to the private sector.

Lawmakers also voted to remove the old Communist insignia, a hammer and drafting compass, from state buildings.

The government of Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere had asked Parliament to let him form a commission that would have the power to wrest away the holdings of the many organizations that existed under the former government.

De Maiziere is to form the commission in the coming days, after which all land, buildings and enterprises owned by the Communists would be held in trust pending an investigation of their value and legitimacy.

The new law also gives the commission power to interrogate witnesses, search houses and seize evidence during its investigation.

The law calls for a system to be set up under which the government could reclaim the property in the public interest, even if the property is in other countries.

The proposal came as the young democratic government grapples with the monumental task of converting state-owned property to private ownership, a prerequisite to unification with West Germany.

The German states are to merge their economies and social institutions on July 2, when West German currency will become the currency of East Germany.

The independent property commission is to report its findings to Parliament two days before the economic union becomes official.

Lawmaker Gregor Gysi, leader of the reconstituted Communist Party that now supports a form of democratic socialism, sharply criticized the proposal during a bitter nine-hour Parliament session.

“They want all opposition eliminated,” said Gysi, whose party is now called the Party of Democratic Socialism.

He said his party already has surrendered a large part of its property.

Richard Schroeder, leader of the Social Democratic lawmakers in Parliament, said the proposal is aimed at shedding light on who owns what in the country.

The property investigation will cover all parties, unions and organizations that came into being after 1945, but it is clearly aimed at the assets of the old regime.