this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2024
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"The Stasi police knew your cat's name, his birthday, what food he liked, at what hour he sleeps, if he was a comrade..." (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 days ago by PugJesus to c/historymemes
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[–] [email protected] 33 points 5 days ago (2 children)

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. Together with these, a much larger number of occasional informers brought up the total to 1 per 6.5 persons

(1)

[–] CitizenKong 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

And in a lot of cases, the "IMs" were close family members and spouses. The alternative to refusing the job was either saying goodbye to any chances of promotion in their jobs in the best case scenario or being jailed themselves in the worst case. Many also accepted because they knew the Stasi would monitor their loved ones anyway, and this way they could at least control the information that was shared.

I was born in the GDR and while I was a small child when the wall came down, I watched a lot of documentaries and also my parents told me a lot of stories. My mother was also approached by the Stasi but she flat out refused. She didn't suffer any bad consequences (that she knows of), but she was also already military (as a secretary, not a soldier) while my father was a middle ranking officer.

[–] rtxn 4 points 5 days ago

"I have a pen... I have a paper... I know their address... I'll report them."

[–] [email protected] 20 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Meanwhile outside of Berlin

In 1981, Rene Seiptius and two friends attempted to flee from East Germany to West Germany. While they managed to avoid land mines, they did trip a spring-gun, killing one of Rene's friends.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_attempts_and_victims_of_the_inner_German_border

[–] mojofrododojo 5 points 5 days ago

thank goodness he brought a spare

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Why don't North Koreans just swim in the water around the DMZ and go to the south? 🤓

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Makes me wonder: are north koreans allowed to own an accurate world map?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago

Yes, but only if you work for the ministry of ~~propaganda~~ truth.

Or you are the nuclear weapons officer, but you only get the map 5 minutes before WW3

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Didn't the wall completely surround the west city?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Yes, part of the city was an enclave, supplied mostly by air. (1)

[–] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Theppoor grammar killed the joke for me

EDIT: i am not fixing it

[–] PugJesus 1 points 5 days ago

I can't believe you would eat a good comrade