Współzawodnictwo i ruch racjonalizatorski w Niemieckiej Republice Demokratycznej

In the introductory part of the article the author deals with theoretical and ideological premises of work competition and rationalization movement in socialist enterprises. The discussed forms of workers’ active involvement represent: 1) a reflection of socialist attitude to work, 2) indicator of maturity of socialist work relations, 3) the most essential form of socialist democracy in the work establishment, 4) factor of shaping socialist personality. The discussion proceeds next to the most important stages in development of work competition and rationalization movement in the GDR. They are discussed against the background of traditions of socialist work competition and inventiveness in the first socialist country — the Soviet Union in the context of Lenin’s concepts relating to the subject in question. In its final part, the article contains detailed statistical data depicting development of these forms of workers’ activity in the GDR over the period of 1968—1976.