Luise Ermisch facts for kids

Luise Ermisch (born Luise Thürmer; 20 May 1916 – 17 January 2001) was an important German politician. She lived in East Germany, which was also called the German Democratic Republic. Luise Ermisch was special because she managed a political career while also working in the clothing industry.

She became famous for something called the "Luise Ermisch Method." This was a smart way to plan how things were made in factories. It broke down the work into small steps for each person. This made it easy to measure how much was made and how good the quality was.

The method helped factories see who was doing well. It also helped them give rewards to workers. Because East Germany had a special type of economy where the government controlled everything, it was easy to share the "Luise Ermisch Method" with many factories.

Luise Ermisch's Life Story

Luise Ermisch was the daughter of a butcher. She learned to be a dressmaker from 1930 to 1933. After that, she couldn't find a job for a while. From 1937 to 1939, she worked as a seamstress.

During World War II, she had to work as a welder until 1945. This was a very different job from dressmaking!

Starting a Career in East Germany

After the war, Luise Ermisch went back to being a seamstress. She worked at the VEB Halle Dress factory. "VEB" stood for "Volkseigener Betrieb," which meant "People's Own Enterprise." These were factories owned by the government in East Germany.

In 1947, she joined the Free German Trade Union Federation. This was a big group for workers. She then got more training in 1949. She became a leader in the trade union. She also helped start the first "Brigade of Outstanding Quality." This was a special team known for excellent work.

By 1950, Luise Ermisch was a strong political activist. She joined the country's main political group, the SED. This party ruled East Germany.

Developing the "Luise Ermisch Method"

From 1954, Luise Ermisch began to use her special method in factories. She wanted to improve how things were made. Her method helped factories plan their work better. It helped them see how much each worker and team produced. It also checked the quality of their work.

When the factory knew how much and how well everyone worked, they could give awards. This encouraged workers to do their best.

Leading Factories and Politics

From 1951 to 1971, Luise Ermisch was in charge of the Halle Dress Factory. After that, she led the VEB Mühlhausen Dress Factory until she retired in 1976. In 1966, she studied by mail and became a Clothing Industry Engineer. From 1966 to 1970, she was the leader of the Clothing Industry Business Council.

Luise Ermisch also held important political jobs. From 1954 to 1981, she was part of the main committee of the SED party. From 1958 to 1963, she was a candidate for a very high position called the Politburo.

She was also a deputy in the People's Chamber from 1950 to 1981. The People's Chamber was like the national parliament or law-making body in East Germany. In 1960, she even went to Moscow for special training. From 1960 to 1963, she was a member of the State Council, which was a top government group.

Awards and Recognition

Luise Ermisch received many important awards for her work and political efforts:

• Hero of Labour (GDR) (1950)
• Banner of Labor (1955)
• Patriotic Order of Merit (Bronze) (1966)
• Order of Karl Marx (1976)

Images for kids

• 

  The "Luise Ermisch Method" in action: Supervisor Liselotte Ertingshausen (left) checks a skirt made by Jutta Wolfgang. This shows how quality was checked in the factory.