Marcel Boldorf brings together two topics that have always been treated in isolation in research: denazification and cadre selection in the context of establishing a central planned economy. The actions of the leaders provide insights into the values, rules, and principles of governance. In four steelworks and two large spinning mills, the author examines the decision-making processes of the plant management and the extent to which they retained room for maneuver as centralism increased. As a formerly leading war industry, the iron and steel sector in the Soviet Zone of Occupation/German Democratic Republic was a politically sensitive factor that formed the basis of the economy aimed at autarky. In contrast, the textile industry was systematically disadvantaged within the state planning system and pushed towards the processing of substitute materials. From a comparative perspective, the book contributes to this discussion.