Main Task

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Main Task (Hauptaufgabe) was East Germany’s economic plan from 1971 to 1990, led by Erich Honecker. Its goal was to raise the population’s living standards to the level of West Germany by spending more on welfare, housing and consumer goods.

The idea was to improve life for ordinary people by boosting the production of goods and making everyday items more affordable. Wages, pensions and welfare payments were increased so people could buy more. Honecker favored a more traditional communist approach, focusing on short‑term improvements in welfare rather than bold reforms.

Several measures were introduced. The government promoted the “Scientific Organisation of Labour,” used longer work shifts and productivity ideas to raise output, and encouraged more women to work. Housing received major attention, with large investments in new apartment blocks (plattenbau) and the renovation of older homes, often with subsidized rents and utilities.

In the early years, Main Task helped living standards rise, especially for housing and consumer goods. But it did not close the gap with West Germany, and the system became more strained over time. To pay for higher welfare and housing, East Germany borrowed heavily from the West. Investments like a semiconductor push failed to deliver the hoped‑for export gains, and growth slowed in the 1980s.

By the mid‑1980s the economy was in trouble: growth was very low, and debt to Western lenders grew large with high interest costs. In short, while Main Task brought some improvements, it created a growing debt burden and did not achieve the goal of matching West Germany’s living standards.