Sample Files on Victims

The Stasi Records Archive contains an abundance of evidence on surveillance and repression. The Stasi Records Act takes special care to protect the rights of victims. For this reason, it is generally not possible to view files on other people.

For the sample files project, some of the victims have allowed us to publish their files and waived the right to have their personal details redacted. This gives visitors a chance to view some of the documents created by the Ministry for State Security (MfS). Documents that would otherwise only be accessible to the people mentioned in the files are now available to the media and researchers as reproductions.

The publication of such records is always carried out in close consultation with the individuals mentioned in the sample files. They must consent to the publication. Personal information about third parties is anonymised in accordance with the provisions of the Stasi Records Act.

For the project, a wide variety of case types and procedures were selected from the archive. The aim is to show a broad range of documents and their content.