volkseigener

Volkseigener is a German adjective meaning “owned by the people.” In political and economic discourse, the term describes property, resources, or enterprises that are owned by the state on behalf of the population, rather than by private individuals or corporations. It conveys the idea of public ownership intended to serve the public rather than private profit.

Historically, the term is associated with socialist states, particularly the German Democratic Republic (GDR). In the GDR, assets were organized as Volkseigene Betriebe (VEB) and, less commonly, as Volkseigene Güter (VEG). These enterprises were owned by the state; management and investment decisions followed central planning authorities, with profits typically reinvested to support social programs and state objectives. The concept implied public accountability and service to citizens, though operations occurred within a one-party state and under political oversight by the ruling party and state ministries.

Following German reunification in 1990, most Volkseigene enterprises were privatized, dissolved, or restructured under the Treuhandanstalt, transitioning to a market-based economy. Today, the term remains primarily historical and is used in discussions of state ownership and socialist property concepts, and appears in political rhetoric about public ownership, nationalized industries, and analyses of former East Bloc economies. See also state-owned enterprise, public ownership, and the historical practices of VEG and VEB.