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EK Entlassungskandidat - Conscript End of Service Rituals - Reference photo library
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The NVA was a conscription army and most of the people having to do service were not happy to be there and wanted to get out again as soon as possible. One of the things practiced by all conscripts of the NVA and also the Grenztruppen was the E-Bewegung or EK - Entlassungskandidat. An EK was a conscript soldier or non-professional NCO who was doing the last half year of his service. During that time there were a lot of rituals being observed and practiced and these are some pics in relation to that. Most of these rituals were illegal within the army and had to be performed secretly. A variety of paraphernalia were made by the EK to advertise his status to others. There was also a very special and extensive vocabulary associated with the E-Bewegung. Everything and everyone had some special name to describe their status ...
What is the deal with that measuring tape I hear you ask ...
The tape was 150cm long. At 150 days before the end of your service there was a ceremonial first cut performed by the 'freshers' (those are the ones wearing a candle on their helmets in some of the photos which were to 'light their way at the start of their military service') and after that the EK would cut off 1cm for each day gone. Certain milestone days had to be coloured in a certain way. The tape was not allowed in the army but as a 'true EK' you had to have it with you at all times and you had to show it to other EK's whenever they demanded it from you. They'd usually shout Kontrolle and it had to be shown. Could you not show it then you forfeited on something ... usually pay a penalty into the EK fund. The worst that could happen to an EK was for an officer to confiscate his tape measure. That was the ultimate humiliation ... ;-)