Stasi mail checked: This is how letters were secretly opened!

Stasi mail checked: This is how letters were secretly opened!

An interesting exhibition on Stasi postal control is currently being presented in the Stasi documents archive in Suhl, which provides insights into the covert practices of the Ministry for State Security (MfS). How insuedthueringen.de According to reports, the Stasi discreetly opened mail to obtain valuable information. This happened, for example, through the use of automatic letter opening systems, which made it possible to open envelopes using steam without the senders or recipients noticing anything.

A not insignificant aspect of these surveillance measures was the targeted manipulation of romantic relationships. Sometimes letters and packages were deliberately not delivered to give the impression that the senders were no longer interested in the recipients. With this tactic, the Stasi aimed to disrupt or even end interpersonal relationships.

The background to the postal inspection

The postal inspection was launched in 1950 and ran until the fall of 1989. During this time, thousands of letters and parcels were checked by Stasi employees in a total of 15 letter distribution offices in the GDR, which were known as “Stelle 12”. They were not only responsible for carrying out the technical checks, but also for evaluating suspicious content. Particularly sensitive information was copied or removed, while even Western money found in the letters was removed, such as bpb.de notes.

How bundesarchiv.de In addition, the entire mail was subject to a strict control system and passed through special central post offices, where the Stasi employees finally decided what to do with it. These practices were so far-reaching that they even affected entire towns or professional groups. The goal was always the same: to detect “any enemy activity.”

Technical aids and employee development

In the 1950s, the focus of postal inspection was on searching for writings critical of the GDR and recording the general mood of the population. But technological tools and intelligence checks soon became more important. The number of employees increased from a few dozen in 1950 to nearly 2,200 in 1989, with over 20 percent of them being women.

To increase the effectiveness of these surveillance measures, staff received ongoing training and specialized in various areas, with language skills essential for reading foreign mail. In 1989, postal controls increasingly targeted the political opposition and its activities - a turn that highlighted the worrying extent of the surveillance.

Although the GDR constitution guaranteed postal and telecommunications secrecy, the Stasi's practices were in direct contradiction to this. As the archive in Suhl shows, the aftereffects of these systems remain present in our memories today and challenge us to reflect on the meaning of privacy and trust.