Operational material on the Berlin Television Tower

After only four years of construction, the Berlin Television Tower was officially opened on 3 October 1969. Today, it still ranks as the tallest structure in Germany and one of the city’s landmarks. The then Minister for State Security, Erich Mielke, also attended the formal inauguration. His Ministry appropriated part of the Television Tower for its own purposes.

From a platform at a height of 241 metres, the GDR secret police installed high-quality photographic equipment for detailed surveillance of the surrounding area at distances of more than one kilometre. As this photographic documentation shows, the Stasi was particularly interested in identifying vehicle registration numbers and individuals. The first part of the file contains an index card with details of the receipt and subsequent whereabouts of the material, which was classified as confidential. This is followed by an introductory text describing the optimum photographic positions, the equipment used and the factors affecting image quality.

The latter part of the documentation contains the photographic material: general views of the newly constructed city centre and detailed photographs of cars and passers-by taken under different weather conditions.