Control of the People

What were the main methods of control used by the SED?

The Stasi, propaganda, censorship, and political repression.

What was the full name of the Stasi?

Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (Ministry for State Security).

When was the Stasi established?

1950.

Who was the head of the Stasi from 1957 to 1989?

Erich Mielke.

What was the purpose of the Stasi?

To protect the socialist state by spying on and suppressing opposition.

How many employees did the Stasi have by the late 1980s?

About 91,000 full-time staff and 189,000 unofficial collaborators (IMs).

What percentage of the population were informers?

Roughly 1 in 6 East Germans.

What were unofficial collaborators (IMs)?

Ordinary citizens recruited by the Stasi to inform on friends, family, and colleagues.

How did the Stasi recruit informers?

Through blackmail, career incentives, or ideological conviction.

Give one example of a group targeted by the Stasi.

Church members, intellectuals, artists, students, and anyone with Western contacts.

What was the Zersetzung method?

Psychological warfare used to intimidate or destabilise opponents through rumours, isolation, and subtle harassment.

Give an example of Zersetzung.

Damaging relationships, sabotaging careers, or spreading false rumours.

What happened to political prisoners?

They were imprisoned, forced into labour, or sold to the FRG for hard currency.

How many political prisoners were sold to the FRG between 1963 and 1989?

Around 34,000.

What was the Stasi prison in Berlin called?

Hohenschönhausen Prison.

What were the main tasks of the Stasi abroad?

Spying on Western governments, especially the FRG.

Who was the GDR’s most famous spy?

Günter Guillaume (exposed in 1974 for spying on FRG Chancellor Willy Brandt).

How did the Stasi monitor the population?

Opened mail, tapped phones, monitored workplaces, and placed informers in every organisation.

How many phone calls were monitored daily?

About 1,500 per day.

How many mail items were opened daily?

Around 90,000.

How did the Stasi use surveillance technology?

Hidden cameras, microphones, and extensive file-keeping systems.

How many personal files did the Stasi keep by 1989?

Around 6 million.

What was the role of propaganda in control?

Promoted socialism, SED achievements, and demonised Western capitalism.

What was the main newspaper of the SED?

Neues Deutschland (New Germany).

How was censorship enforced?

All media, film, and publishing required state approval; banned Western material.

What did the SED claim about East German media?

That it represented the voice of the people and socialist truth.

Give one example of a censored writer or artist.

Wolf Biermann (exiled 1976), Stefan Heym, or Christa Wolf.

How did the regime use culture for control?

Encouraged ‘socialist realism’ and promoted loyalty through art, literature, and film.

What was the FDJ and how did it help control youth?

The Free German Youth – a state youth movement promoting SED values through education and activities.

What percentage of young people were members of the FDJ?

About 75%.

What was the Thälmann Pioneers?

Youth organisation for children aged 6–14 promoting socialist loyalty.

What was the penalty for political dissent?

Dismissal from jobs, imprisonment, or loss of education opportunities.

What were show trials?

Public trials used to humiliate and deter critics.

How did the SED maintain control over the army?

The National People’s Army (NVA) was under SED control through political officers and the Stasi.

What was the NVA’s loyalty oath?

Swore allegiance to the SED and socialist cause rather than the German people.

How did the GDR justify its control measures?

Claimed they were necessary to protect socialism from Western subversion.