The Stasi: Life under Surveillance in East Germany with Dr. Finn Ballard

In this Conversation, we'll investigate the history of the secret police force of Cold War-era East Germany: the Staatsicherheitsdienst, or the Ministry of Security, known as the 'Stasi.' We'll learn the truth behind the movie 'The Lives of Others' about an organization as absurd as it was sinister, for which up to a sixth of the East German population is believed to have worked at some point in their lives - albeit, for the most part, in an unofficial and not entirely reliable context. We'll learn the stories of Stasi chiefs Erich Mielke - for a brief period, Germany's oldest prisoner - and the elusive Markus Wolf, 'the man without a face.' We'll see how the Stasi technique of psychological warfare, known as 'decomposition,' destroyed the lives of many believed to be enemies of the East German state; and how inmates suffered at the Hohenschönhausen prison in Berlin until 1989. We'll see how shredded Stasi files, documenting the minutiae of everyday life for anyone under suspicion, are being put back together to this day, And we'll reflect upon the ramifications of this culture of mistrust and suspicion for modern-day life in Germany. 

Led by an expert on modern German history, Dr. Finn Ballard, this Conversation will investigate the all-too-recent story of surveillance and oppression in the German Democratic Republic. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of Cold War history and everyday life in East Germany.