The Ministry for State Security - Everyday life at a public authority

Oct 16, 2002

1h 30m

★ 6.0

Overview

Former heads, senior officers and the rector of the MfS law school explain how the ministry functioned. The interviewees see themselves as legitimate actors with a clear mandate and political enemy image. They provide an insight into the techniques and routines of secret service work, psychological tricks during interrogations and the management of “unofficial collaborators”. What they all have in common is that they are not aware of any moral guilt. The directors contrast their footage of prisons and archives with the statements of former Stasi employees in an attempt to expose their evasions and efforts at suppression.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

MDR

Emotion Pictures

The Ministry for State Security - Everyday life at a public authority Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

himself

Kurt Zeiseweis

himself

Gerhard Niebling

himself

Karli Coburger

himself

Gerhard Neiber

himself

Horst Männchen

himself

Willi Opitz

himself

Wolfgang Schmidt

himself

Günter Möller

himself

Wanja Abramowski

himself

Siegfried Rataizick

A documentary that explores questions of secrecy and power in relation to the East German Secret Police (the 'Stasi') within East German society. The film is based upon key findings from an extensive research project, 'Knowing the Secret Police', and reflects upon how different kinds of knowledge were circulated through social, religious, political and literary networks within the former GDR. The filmmakers present this research with footage filmed at key locations throughout East Berlin and the wider surrounding landscape, including the Stasi archives and former HQ, Karl-Marx-Allee, Volkspark Friedrichshain, rural 'dacha' cabins, the urban neighbourhood of Prenzlauerberg and the social housing estates of Marzahn.

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