What is the difference between the Gestapo and the Stasi?
“The Gestapo had 40,000 officials watching a country of 80 million, while the Stasi employed 102,000 to control only 17 million.” One might add that the Nazi terror lasted only twelve years, whereas the Stasi had four decades in which to perfect its machinery of oppression, espionage, and international terrorism and …
What was East Germany’s secret police force called?
Stasi
Stasi, official name Ministerium für Staatsicherheit (German: “Ministry for State Security”), secret police agency of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The Stasi was one of the most hated and feared institutions of the East German communist government.
Do the Stasi still exist?
In short, the Stasi cadres were not repressed, just like the East German army. They continue, alive and well, although they might be submerged under the heavier ice of West German state. The fall of the Berlin wall did not mean the end of career for the East German police.
Why was Stasi so good?
The Stasi were one of the most successful intelligence services in history: they kept almost unimaginably detailed files and records on large quantities of the population, and created an atmosphere of fear and unease that they then proceeded to exploit.
How did the Stasi control the people?
The Stasi had, of course, a system for monitoring telephone conversations. It also had what is known as a mail cover system that opened up letters and parcels coming in from overseas, as well as mail to certain targeted people. It tracked all of the few foreigners who were allowed into East Germany.
How big was Stasi?
The Stasi kept files on about 5.6 million people. The Stasi had 90,000 full-time employees who were assisted by 170,000 full-time unofficial collaborators (Inoffizielle Mitarbeiter); together these made up 1 in 63 (nearly 2%) of the entire East German population.
Was GDR a communist?
The German Democratic Republic (GDR), or Communist East Germany, ceased to exist at midnight on 3 October 1990. It was neither democratic, nor was it a republic. It was a dictatorship in which there were no free elections, no division of powers, and no freedom of movement.
Does Russia still control East Germany?
After changes in Soviet foreign policy during the late 1980s, the group shifted to a more defensive role and in 1988 became the Western Group of Forces. Russian forces remained in the eastern part of Germany after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and German reunification until 1994.
What language is the lives of others?
German
English
The Lives of Others/Languages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvjKUfe8o0Q