Stasiland

I've been reading the book Stasiland - True Stories from Behind the Iron Curtain by Anna Funder. I became interested in the subject of the Stasi after seeing the German movie The Lives of Others. 'Stasi' stands for: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (Ministry for State Security) the official secret police of the Former East Germany. The movie is the story of a Stasi officer who undertakes surviellience of a playwrite for the GDR government in the mid 1980's. I'll write about the movie at another time, for now, the book. Stasiland.

Ms. Funder is an Australian living and working in the former West Berlin. While working at a local oversea's TV station, she becomes interested in life during the GDR era, and places an ad in one of the local papers asking for people who would be willing to come forward and tell their stories. Stories that would be more than difficult to relate and relive. Many people answered her ad. Ordinary people, courageous people, terrified people, even a few ex-Stasi men. All wanted to tell their stories, all wanted to be understood. Without getting too far into the story (you have to read the book yourself), I must say I was amazed at the length that the Stasi would go to 'encourage' someone to become an informer, or to 'co-operate' with them. One of the people Ms. Funder writes about refused to help, and her life was ruined in so many ways.

The Stasi found many reasons to punish: for having a western book, for wanting to go to the West, for making jokes about either the party or those in power, amoung other things. And the punishment was....I don't even have a word to describe it. Horrible? yes, Outrageous? yes, Demeaning? yes. All of these and more. A trip to the Hohenschonhausen prison for an 'interview', could mean you would never be seen again, or, you may get to go home...eventually.

With the passing of years the memories don't always get easier. Yet the survivors seemed to hold no grudge, it's just the way it was.

I remember when the Wall came down in 1989. I was watching the news with my West German roommate and her Mother who had come to Canada for a visit. We watched in awe as ordinary people from both sides amassed and eventually overran and tore down the legendary Wall. People lifting others to the top, East & West shaking hands. Families finally getting to see each other, some for the first time ever. And the Stasi could do nothing. My roommates' Mom kept saying ''It's happening too fast, there's something wrong''. She was suspicious. I didn't understand why until I read Stasiland.

Ms. Funder is a wonderful writer who is able to get her subjects to open up and revel their very personal, very heartwrenching stories. I hope that the book, Stasiland, along with the movie, The Lives of Others, will help to pave the way for others to tell their stories, and for those reponsible to finally be held accountable.


I would recommend this book to anyone!