Stasi facts for kids
| Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS) | |
Seal of the Ministry of State Security of the GDR
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 8 February 1950 |
| Dissolved | 13 January 1990 |
| Type | Secret police, Intelligence agency |
| Headquarters | East Berlin, GDR |
| Motto | Schild und Schwert der Partei (Shield and sword of the Party) |
| Employees | 91,015 (1989) |
| Agency executives |
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The Stasi was the official state security service of East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Its motto was "Schild und Schwert der Partei", which means "Shield and Sword of the Party". "The Party" was the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, which was in charge of East Germany. The Stasi's main goal was to stop anyone from disagreeing with the Party.
The Stasi was a very powerful secret police agency. Its main office was in East Berlin, with many buildings in the Lichtenberg area and other parts of Berlin.
Contents
What Was the Stasi's Main Job?
Spying on People in East Germany
One of the Stasi's most important jobs was to spy on its own citizens. It did this by creating a huge network of people who acted as informants. These informants were like "snitches" who would report on their friends, family, and neighbors. They were sometimes paid or given special favors for sharing information.
Working as an Intelligence Agency Abroad
The Stasi also worked as an intelligence agency in other countries. This meant they gathered secret information and carried out hidden operations outside of East Germany. For a long time, the Stasi was led by Markus Wolf. Under his leadership, it became known as one of the most effective intelligence agencies during the Cold War. The Cold War was a period of tension between the Soviet Union and its allies (including East Germany) and the United States and its allies.
What Happened to the Stasi?
The Stasi was dissolved in 1990, when East and West Germany reunited. After Germany became one country again, many Stasi officials faced consequences for their actions.
The Stasi had collected millions of secret files on East German citizens. After reunification, these files were opened up. Today, people can ask to see their own personal files that the Stasi kept. These files are now looked after by a special office called the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives.
Images for kids
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Bautzen prison
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The main entrance to the Stasi headquarters in Berlin
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Stasi identity card of Vladimir Putin
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Citizens protesting and entering the Stasi building in Berlin; the sign accuses the Stasi and SED of being Nazi-like dictators (1990)
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Part of the former Stasi compound in Berlin, with "Haus 1" in the centre
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The former Stasi Prison, Erfurt
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Cells in Bautzner Strasse Memorial, Dresden
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Entrance to the "Runde Ecke" museum, Leipzig, 2009
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Façade of the Memorial Site, Lindenstrasse, Potsdam
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See also
In Spanish: Stasi para niños
