Introduction to the Stasi
Erich Mielke’s message was clear: "Enjoyed, we have to know everything!" As the director of the East German Ministry of State Security, also known as Stasi, from 1957 to 1989, he supervised the systematic monitoring of its citizens. Stasi information could be found anywhere, even among colleagues or friends, with the task of determining people who were deemed "harmful" to society. In the eyes of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) regime, this included anyone who criticized the system and worked with the so-called "class enemy".
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
The justification for the Stasi’s actions legitimized the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, which the GDR described as an "anti-fascist protective barrier" against the "imperialist" or "fascist" capitalists in the West. The enemy was everywhere for the GDR, and for the Stasi secret police, everything could be suspected, from jokes to listening to non-conformist music, to receiving letters with stamps from the West or requesting a visitor to enter West Germany.
Stasi Methods: Monitoring and Intimidation
As a "shield and sword of the party", the Stasi was responsible for maintaining the rule of the German Party of Socialist Unity (SED) by reflecting against any opposition. Stasi officials would spy on people by reading their post, tapping their calls, and illegally entering their apartments. They would intimidate people and spread rumors, such as allegations of being an alcoholic or gay, to discredit them. In some cases, agents would even spread rumors that someone worked for the Stasi, leading to many GDR citizens being locked up for criticizing the regime.
Why People Worked for the Stasi
Around 90,000 people worked full-time for the Stasi, while 100,000 to 200,000 "informal employees" worked as informants before November 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell. These unofficial informants would spy on their friends and family, either voluntarily or because they were put under pressure themselves. According to historian Philipp Springer, one reason people worked for the Stasi was the feeling of having power over their fellow citizens. Additionally, the promise of an interesting job and possible missions abroad, as well as a secure career, were also motivating factors.
Life as a Stasi Employee
When examining his book, Springer discovered rare photos of Stasi officials at work, which revealed a mundane and unexciting life. The promise of a James Bond-like life as a secret service agent fades quickly when looking at the photos, which show employees doing ordinary tasks such as copying documents or working in the kitchen. Springer notes that while these tasks may seem normal and unexciting, the employees were all part of the system and contributed to keeping the state apparatus going.
Biographies of Stasi Employees
The author tried to take the biographies of some subjects in the photos, including the first lieutenant Elfi-Elfe Mertens, whose father had already worked for the Stasi, like her husband. Mertens described herself as "ready for service" and promised to prevent a relative from traveling West. Another employee, corporal Sylke Kindler, suggested using a camera on the bottom of a shopping basket to secretly take photos. Major General Horst Böhm was so loyal to the regime that he even committed suicide after the dissolution of the GDR.
Learning from the Past
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification in 1990, the Stasi’s activities came to an end. On January 15, 1990, thousands of demonstrators stormed the Stasi headquarters, and authorities were able to collect over 111 kilometers of files, 41 million index cards, and over 1.7 million photos. Many East Germans have submitted applications to view their personal files, and some discovered that information had been collected by friends and even family members. Historian Springer believes that this matter should attract greater attention at the political or national level, as the injustice was committed by an entire apparatus, and it is essential to keep the memory alive to protect our democratic system.
