Central Band of the NPA Land Forces The Central Band of the NVA Land Forces (also known as the Central Band of the NPA,
Zentralorchester der NVA) was no reorganization such as the Stabsmusikkorps of the Bundeswehr, but it was taken over in 1956 by the KVP and at this time could look back on a seven -year history as a symphony orchestra or symphonic wind band. Of all the active bands, it was the most senior band of the entire NPA. The development of the Band ran until 1959 in normal tracks and without special features. Then Major
Gerhard Baumann, former director of the Schwerin People's Police Band, came to Berlin via Leipzig and took over the leadership of the ZO from the hands of Major Hans-Helmut Hunger. In the "era Baumann", which lasted until 1983, the Central Band of the NVA became a term for solid military music and an extraordinary ensemble of sound. However, the uniqueness of the orchestra was not based solely on its position as the largest and most important music corps of military music of the NVA, because the official music - up to extraordinary representative performances - was, as with all top brass corps of a state, integrated into predetermined framework conditions, albeit Here, of course, his style and the treatment of the profession not only make the connoisseur sit up. In 1983, Colonel
Gerhard Baumann handed over the baton to Heinz Häcker, who led the ZO until the time of reunification. The fate of the ZO was ultimately no different than that of the NVA as a whole. As a full blown Bundeswehr band in its final months the central band was disbanded under its last director, Major Bernd Zivny, who performed the band's final Berlin concert on 2 November 1990, the only time it performed wearing Bundeswehr uniforms as part of the unification of the band services of the former two Germanies, it was rebadged briefly as the local band for the now reunified Berlin city garrison.
Band of the National People's Navy The Band of the National People's Navy (
Musikkorps der Volksmarine) was the only band supporting the ceremonial activities of the
Volksmarine.
Central Band of the National People's Army Air Forces The Central Band of the National People's Army Air Forces (
Orchester der Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee) supported the ceremonial activities of the
Air Forces of the National People's Army, and reported thus to the
Kommando LSK/LV in East Berlin.
Band of the Border Troops The Band of the Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic (
Orchester der Grenztruppen der DDR) was the official band supporting the ceremonial activities of the
Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic, a directly reporting agency of the Ministry of National Defense. It was affiliated to the MMS-NPA owing to its status as a former service branch of the NVA itself from 1961 to 1973.
Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment The Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment (
Musikkorps und Spielmannszug der Wachregiment Friedrich Engels) also known in an official capacity as the Stabsmusikkorps Kommandantur Berlin (
Staff Band of the Commandant of Berlin) was the official regimental band of the
Friedrich Engels Guard Regiment, the official
guard of honour regiment of the NVA, which served during ceremonial occasions like state visits,
guard mountings at the
Neue Wache, military parades, oath taking ceremonies of new conscripts, the
Großer Zapfenstreich and wreath laying ceremonies. It also supported the activities of the
Guard Regiment Hugo Eberlein, the non-public duties guard unit of the Ministry of National Defence.
Central Band of the Ministry of Internal Affairs The Central Band of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (
Zentrales Orchester des Ministeriums des Innern) supported the ceremonial activities of the Ministry of the Interior of the GDR.
Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment The Band and Corps of Drums of the
Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment (
Musikkorps und Spielmannszug des Wachregiments "Feliks Dzierzynski") was the official regimental band of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment, the armed internal security regiment within the Ministry for State Security.
Erich-Weinert-Ensemble The
Erich-Weinert-Ensemble, named after communist writer
Erich Weinert, was a professional army ensemble of in the NVA that was the equivalent to the
Alexandrov Ensemble in the
Soviet Union and the
Representative Ensemble of the
Bulgarian People's Army. Originally a unit of the
Kasernierte Volkspolizei in 1950, it was transferred to the NVA 6 years later and was transferred to the
Bundeswehr in 1989, defunct by 1994. It consisted of a male choir, a ballet, an orchestra, and a theatre troupe, all of which were based in
Berlin-Biesdorf. ==Common repertoire==