Controlling Control Institutions: Policing of Collective Protests in 1960s West Germany

Abstract

While in some 1960s West German police forces, the transition from the traditions of paramilitary policing was well under way in day-to-day police work and in policing youth riots, the policing of political protests still had its problems. First, during these police interventions an escalation of physical violence occurred especially among policemen aged over 30. Their actions were guided by an organizational culture, which rested upon notions of aggressive masculinity, on a highly coherent group culture and on a professional ethos which had its roots in the (Prussian) police forces of the Weimar Republic and which understood policing as protecting the existence of the state against communist upheaval. Second, the violent actions policemen took during riot policing were also influenced by their experiences during day-to-day policing and also during their training phase in the police barracks. Third, reform efforts were initiated by politicians who had not been socialized inside the police. Fourth, in order to realize their aims they established formal institutions for improved communication among policemen, politicians, and agents of civil society. Until the late 1970s, however, the organizational culture of the police proved itself partially immune to many changes.