The number is impressive: 7,353,885 applications have been submitted since 1991 to its Archives Service Internship citizens seeking access to files held by the former East German State Security Ministry, according to the DW.
46% were requests from citizens who wanted to know what Stasi, the secret service of the German Democratic Republic, knew about them. All these elements were included in the informants’ reports. The volume of the relevant archives covers a period of 40 years and a radius of 111 kilometers.
During the 1989 peaceful revolution, East German activists prevented the destruction of the Stasi Archives. In Reunited Germany, a special authority was set up headed by a “Federal Commissioner for the Archives of the State Security Service of the former GDR”. The service is known simply as Stasi Archives.
The current head of Ronald Jan presented his latest report in Berlin, marking the end of an era: in the summer the service will cease to exist and its files will be transferred to the federal archives, 31 years after their rescue. The decision was made by the German parliament last November.
According to Jan, in 2020, 23,686 requests for file control were submitted, a lower number compared to 2019 (35,554 requests). The increased demand of 2019 is due to the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The same phenomenon was observed on the 25th anniversary. The coverage of historical events by the German media aroused the curiosity of many to remember the past again.
The “Stasi chapter” is still painful, especially for many East Germans. “Some people need more time to manage their personal history,” says Ronald Jan. In fact, 20% of the requests were submitted by relatives of the deceased, who wanted to shed light on their family history. In fact, some 400,000 applications have been submitted by residents of the West German states. Also 21,000 requests have been submitted by nationals of foreign countries.
The success of the file
Despite their imminent closure, the Stasi Archives was a success story and a model for Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Once the files are opened, perpetrators can be located and prosecuted. Victims also find evidence of how their careers were obstructed, for example for political reasons, by claiming compensation.
With their transfer to the federal archives, the Stasi Archives will continue to be accessible to both victims and journalists and investigators. Also by 2030, investigations into links with the Stasi of government officials will be possible, thanks to legislation in 2019. However, such revelations are rare today, in contrast to the early 1990s and the struggles of activists, President of Germany Joachim Gauck.
Finally, it is worth noting that there are reactions to the closure of the Stasi Archives. Critics such as former spokeswoman Christian Boos say their incorporation into the state archives is “wrong” because “the Stasi archives’ investigation was never completed.”
In any case, Jan’s term ends on June 17, the date of the popular uprising in East Germany in 1953, which was suppressed by the Soviets. The second in 1989 was successful, leading to the fall of the regime and the reunification of Germany.
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