ABSTRACT
A survey of West German and British manufacturers, trading organisations and ministries found that surprisingly little appears to be known in the West. This chapter aims to undertake a thorough analysis of technological levels in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) relative to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and other countries, a brief assessment may be made. The GDR would fare better in comparisons of technological levels with certain other Western countries than with the FRG, for the latter is a rigorous yardstick. The technological level of the GDR’s chemical industry would compare more favourably with those of other countries than the FRG, as West Germany is a world leader in chemicals. Hardly anything has been published in the way of a quantitative assessment of GDR technology. Relative to West Germany, the GDR seems to have been particularly weak in the more progressive branches of technology, such as instrument building, electronics, data processing, synthetic fibres, and plastics.
