The stasi files book

The legal basis for this is provided by the stasi records act. Sep 19, 2007 the stasi files are a product of four decades of meticulous notetaking. As the plot twists and turns you will find this book unputdownable borrowed this word from somewhere. Dec 12, 2018 4 an award being bestowed on a member of a stasi phonetapping unit. Numerous stasi officials were prosecuted for their crimes after 1990. New book digs up stasi files on gunter grass the local. The workshop was a bust, but it did push me into tackling my first book, the stasi file opera and espionage. Marshall poe of new books in history interviewed him for their podcast the file. Its secret service, the stasi, consisted of as many as 150,000 agents by the time of its demise in 1990. Revelatory and controversial, the stasi files is the most important book. Koehler writes a good read that tells many individual stories that paint a good picture of the life and times of a secret police that surpassed the nazi gestapo in its depth, staffing, and ruthlessness. East german secret police files highlight role of exnazis. Jan 17, 2010 dwtv reporter georg matthes is searching through the files of the former east german secret police. Setting up the karin muller franchise, it would come to be the first in the now much loved series of books from david young.

The book is not simply about a stasi file, but also gives a very authentic picture of life in east germany around 1980. Click download or read online button to get stasi book now. The stasi arose in 1950 following the birth of the german democratic republic in 1949. East german stasi files open to public online for first.

The german democratic republic of spying telegraph. Following a declassification ruling by the new german government in 1992, the remaining files were opened. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb, and. A rare look at the archives of the german secret police wired. The opening of the stasi files in 1992, made possible by the stasi documents legislation, was an important symbolic act of reconciliation between victims and perpetrators.

The stasi were among the most successful security and intelligence services in the cold war. How east german secret police banned me in the 80s by lucy komisar november 8, 2009. In this gripping narrative, john koehler details the widespread activities of east germanys ministry for state security, or stasi. He is the german state of saxonys national representative for stasi. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. It was established when the stasi records act came into force on 29 december 1991. It was established when the stasi records act came into force on. The secret lives of the stasi radiofreeeuroperadioliberty. A personal history by timothy garton ash is also an excellent look at police surveillance from the other side. The revelations from these documents sparked feuds old and new among a population already struggling through enormous social and political upheaval. Jan 09, 2015 the files of the stasi, communist east germanys notorious secret police, have been made generally available for the first time on a german government website. Bringing out her first book through the twenty7 books publishing label, young initially released stasi child to much acclaim in 2015 on the 1st of october. Has anyone in quora read stasi documents on themselves or. Guilt and compliance in a unified germany ebook written by barbara miller.

What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb. East germanys secret operations against britain by anthony glees and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Anna funder has written about the stasi in a way that sometimes seems like fiction, other times like memoir, and ultimately like an exceptionally readable history. Ash was a western student studying in east germany and the file is his memoir of examining his stasi file. Revelatory and controversial, the stasi files is the most important book on espionage to appear since the mitrokhin archive. The stasi records agency was the first institution established worldwide to make secret police files publicly accessible. The stasi s massive archive held files on millions. Zaisser tried to depose sed general secretary walter ulbricht after the june 1953 uprising, but was instead removed by ulbricht and replaced with ernst wollweber thereafter.

The stasi file by peter bernhardt combines espionage with opera, a combination that gives the book its unique flavor. It holds a pair of 3inchthick black binders copies of the most important documents in poppes secret police files. Dwtv reporter georg matthes is searching through the files of the former east german secret police. About one in 100 east germans was an informer for communist east germanys secret police in 1989, according to a new study. Sep 26, 2003 the opening of the stasi files in 1992, made possible by the stasi documents legislation, was an important symbolic act of reconciliation between victims and perpetrators. After german reunification, the surveillance files that the stasi had maintained on millions of east germans were laid open, so that any citizen could inspect their personal file on request.

If the pictures in the book were all terrible, there wouldnt be any problem. T he file is timothy garton ashs compelling 1997 excavation of the stasi and the people who came into contact with it. Giles macdonogh is gripped by personal histories of stasi rule in anna funders stasiland. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the stasi files unveiled. Clark told how he sewed secrets inside dolls and hollow books, photographed. Has anyone in quora read stasi documents on themselves or a. The compelling main characters take you on a ride through a part of the world in the very recent past, that has and continues to have an impact on all of us. Every individual has the right to request to view his own personal file. If you buy the book now, you will find these sections of it blacked out owing to the court injunction. The agency commonly refers to itself and is also known as the stasiunterlagenbehorde stasi records agency. Stasiland is the former east germany, a country where the stasi, the secret police, spied on every inhabitant, kept files on everybody, and seemed allpowerful. Within four years of reunification, about 860,000 persons had asked to inspect their case files, with 17,626 of those requests being received in december 1994 alone.

The story unfolds from multiple povs, which in the hands of a less gifted writer could have spelled disaster. Photos from east germanys secret intelligence files a new book documents the absurd and terrifying history of the stasi. Stasi museum berlin 2020 all you need to know before you. Drawing upon the stasi files and upon interviews with onetime informers, this book examines the impact of the stasi legacy in united germany. Barbara miller graduated from the university of glasgow in 1991 with a. Guilt and compliance in a unified germany offers important new perspectives on the nature of individual and collective memory and is a fascinating investigation of modern german society. East german stasi files open to public online for first time telegraph.

It is not as readable as many of the others on this list it is a primarily academic monograph, and a bit different from your standard stasi book it is almost exclusively about the stasi s efforts to acquire foreign technology, as opposed to domestic surveillance, but i learned a lot from it. Keils brother is not named in his file, but referred to by a stasi code name. The stasi records agency is the organisation that administers the archives of ministry of state. The 20 th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall has called forth a plethora of memories and celebrations. We recommend booking stasi museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. The federal commissioner for the records of the state.

The book is in two parts first the comparison his own memories and diary entries of his time living in the ddr with the contents of the stasi file on him some of their errors and omissions are quite amusing and secondly his attempts to track down and interview the informers and exstasi officers who contributed to his file. The definitive, revelatory account of the gdrs cold war espionage activities against the uk. Copies of my address books for stockholm and paris, which i was visiting. Barbara miller graduated from the university of glasgow in 1991 with a degree in german and psychology. Reading my stasifile memories of life in east germany. Anthony glees the east german stasi was a highly professional and dangerously conspiratorial organisation, the selfstyled sword and shield of a vicious communist regime. This office was responsible for preserving the records of the ministry for state security of the gdr, including files the secret police had compiled on individuals and stored in archives. Has anyone in quora read stasi documents on themselves or a close family member. The stasi was a network of secret police and informers, and the mostfeared branch of the gdrs communist regime. The stasi, which infiltrated every walk of east german life, suppressed political opposition, and caused the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of citizens, proved to be one of the most powerful secret police and espionage services in the world. Piecing together the dark legacy of east germanys secret police. The files of the stasi, communist east germanys notorious secret police, have been made generally available for the first time on a german. In 1991, after considerable debate, the unified german parliament passed the stasi records law, which granted to germans and foreigners the right to view their stasi files. The spys the limit guardian first book award 2003 the.

Wilhelm zaisser was the first minister of state security of the gdr, and erich mielke was his deputy. There were some about my parents, and some letters i received s. East germanys secret operations against britain new ed by anthony glees isbn. According to the telegraph, almost 7 million applications to view these files have been registered since then. At its height in 1988, the allseeing, allpowerful agency employed 91,000 people and a network of 189,000. Photos from east germanys secret intelligence files.

East germanys secret operations against britain by anthony glees 2003, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Memorable in this respect is the socalled brown book. The stasi archive includes 69 miles of shelved documents about german citizens. The definitive, revelatory account of the gdrs cold war espionage a. East germanys secret operations against britain by. A recently released book visualizes the intrusion into the private lives of east germans by ministry for state security stasi agents. Germany east german stasi had 189,000 informers, study says. Along the way he explains the elaborate structure of intelligence officers, agents and sources who together constituted the troops on the ground for the stasi s campaign against the uk.

Two years ago i applied to the german government to see my file, in order to find out exactly what the stasi thought i was doing. Now the stasi files are part of beleites daily life. Because the author is analyzing his own life there is a deal of personal bias when it comes to how an particular informantperson should be viewed, however, this does not diminish from the book. May 11, 2006 and in a book accompanying the film, mr muhe speaks about his sense of betrayal when he found out about his wifes alleged stasi role. The publishers are trying to get the injunction reversed. As a result, the stasi was able to destroy only about 5% of all documents. The inside story of the stasi by gary bruce is an excellent introduction to the stasi. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Jul 07, 2003 the fruits of this trawl through the surviving stasi files now closed to researchers, tell an extraordinary story the stasi files, free press. In search of my stasifile memories of life in east germany. A personal history main by ash, timothy garton isbn. The stasi file is a heartthumping novel full of action and intellectual intrigue. Angela merkel may currently be the most discussed and least understood. One of germanys most singular achievements is to have associated itself so intimately in the worlds imagination with the darkest evils of the two worst political systems of the most murderous century in human history.

John macdougallafpgetty images four decades of domination over almost all aspects of life in east germany came to an abrupt halt exactly 25 years ago today. Jul 21, 2016 has anyone in quora read stasi documents on themselves or a close family member. Bstu access to records the stasi records agency bstu is responsible for making the records of the state security service of the former gdr accessible to the public. A new book showing the huge lengths the east german secret police, the stasi, went to in order to spy on nobel prizewinning author gunter. East germanys secret operations against britain new ed by glees, anthony isbn. Nov 08, 2009 the files which contain these points are secret.

The novel was a quarter finalist in the 2011 amazon breakthrough novel award contest. Army intelligence officer, koehler offers a study spanning the history of the gdr, a time in which stasi brutality sustained an illegitimate communist regime. Stasi chief, general mielke, prided himself on this situation. A terrific read for anyone who likes history, especially that of the cold war, and does not mind a different sort of narration of it. In this book, garton ash examines the file that the stasi built on him between 1978 and 1989, which he was able to access after the fall of east germany. The book promised a great deal, and was selected on the grounds of its promise to uncover the extent of the stasi s penetration by utilising both recently uncovered stasi files, and previous informants, vicitims of the stasi s. Stasi victims and citizens who had been under surveillance were allowed to examine their stasi files. Probably no secret police network was ever as pervasive as the stasi s, not even the gestapos. The file is a historical analysis of one file and one persons experience with the stasi and east german government. The stasi file was named a finalist for book of the year by the british arts council sponsored website, and is ranked a bestseller by the site.

Drawing upon the stasi files and upon interviews with onetime informers, this book examines the. Concerned that stasi officials were destroying the organizations files, east german citizens occupied its main headquarters in berlin on january 15, 1990. The stasi files are not a history of that organisation nor a comprehensive look at its operations. Behind the berlin wall, colleagues, friends, husbands and wives, informed on each other. Krusche could have talked to stasi, but not reported on people, said rainer eppelmann, a leading dissident in east german times and now a member of parliament from the conservative christian democratic party. A conference room in the former ministry of state security. Stasi files catalogue tragedy and trauma of four toxic decades. But the stasi spy files, according to intelligence sources here, now reside at cia headquarters in langley, va. East german stasi had 189,000 informers, study says dw. The intelligence officers bookshelf central intelligence agency. It brought back to me many of my own memories, and while reading i was surprised time and again how precisely the author, a visitor from the west, understood what was. They were discovered by archivists working at the government commission for the stasi files in berlin, the 10yearold organization responsible for collating the voluminous data gathered by the. The words nazi, ss, and auschwitz are already global synonyms for the deepest inhumanity of fascism. Dissidents, however, say some church leaders lacked courage.

The stasi records agency is the organisation that administers the archives of ministry of state security stasi of the former german democratic republic east germany. The stasi files conscientious photography magazine. East german stasi files open to public online for first time. For victims, reading their file provided a means of re. Stasi officers tried to destroy their files when the berlin wall fell in 1989, but they were saved by ordinary east german citizens who stormed the stasi offices in the city of erfurt to protect. Before the collapse of communist east germany the country ran one of the most extensive intelligence networks in the world. It is a government agency of the federal republic of germany. The untold story of the east german secret police new ed by koehler.