Stasi news stories on Newser

Lightning-Rod W. German Cop Unmasked as Stasi Spy

Rob Quinn — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:17:37 CDT

The West German cop whose shooting of an unarmed protester in 1967 changed the country forever has been unmasked as an East German spy by historians going through Stasi files, the New York Times reports. The shooting sparked a wide, sometimes violent left-wing protest movement many believe spawned Germany's current...

Spy Scandal at German Phone Giant Grows

Kevin Spak — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:44:57 CDT

Deutsche Telekom apparently didn’t stop at looking through the phone records of board members and journalists in its bid to end leaks. The German phone giant also tracked their movements and may have snooped into personal bank records, Der Spiegel reports. Top executives also worked with a detective agency run...

Berlin Journos Say They Were Stasi Spies

Matt Cantor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:07:54 CDT

Two top journalists for a Berlin paper have admitted they worked as informants for the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police, prompting an investigation of the paper’s editorial staff, the Guardian reports. Berliner Zeitung ’s top editor ordered an inquiry after a senior stafffer was identified as a 1970s informant; two...

Stasi Ordered to Shoot First

Heather McPherson — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:08:00 CDT

During the Cold War, East German border police were ordered to shoot all attempted defectors, a newly discovered Stasi document confirms. “Do not hesitate with the use of a firearm, including when the border breakouts involve women and children, which the traitors have already frequently taken advantage of,” the 1973...