Introduction
Anna Funder’s Stasiland is a text that narrates about a group of people who struggled against the East German government, and those that become members of the Stasi, the regime’s secret police. The story revealed how the citizens who were against the Stasi system were automatically regarded as state enemies. They become the subject of scrutiny and pressure as their moves is watched for the even a minor suspicion of disobedience. In Stasiland, the author presented the different experiences of East German citizens, all of whom shared their first-hand stories that depicted how they suffered from the excessive surveillance and psychological pressures from the Stasi.
One of the many difficulties faced by people who lived under the German Democratic Republic was that they are always living under suspicion. Their slightest movements were constantly watched as the members of the Stasi employed diverse means to monitor their activities. For example, Julia, one of Funder’s interviewees, experienced having her love letters to her boyfriend opened by the police. In addition to that, it was found that out of every 6.5 people, the government employed one informer to watch over their movements. The very close scrutiny, even to their private lives was met with a different approach; that is, there were those who simply lived with the system, while there were also those who attempted to keep some piece of privacy for their family. Overall, the surveillance system was taken into extreme that people during the GDR regime found it difficult to live a normal life.
The GDR was able to closely monitor the movement of its citizens, not only because of the Stasi police, but because of the employment of informers from the ordinary people. There were people who became informers because of their belief in the government and the communist system. On the other hand, there were also those, despite their opposition to the GDR regime, were forced to collaborate with the police as a survival tactic. Some people agreed to become informers because of the feeling of superiority for being one, while others believed it is one way to protect their family and from being considered as an enemy by the state.
Many of the East German citizens were considered as victims of physical and psychological entrapment. This was the case, even for Stasi employees who found it difficult to become more accepting of both their personal and professional situations. Other victims of the regime include those that experienced interrogation and intense surveillance. In some instances, there were those who suffered from imprisonment, from the slightest suspicion of their character. Still, many people suffered from the deterioration of the families due to excessive meddling from members of the Stasi.
Conclusion
Funder’s investigation about the lives of people who were closely monitored by the GDR government revealed how they suffered both from physical and psychological damage. She was able to get in contact with people whose lives were invaded by the secret police. The author recounted how the ordinary people were considered as enemies of the state, and their privacy closely monitored for the slightest movement. Moreover, ordinary citizens were employed to pry into the lives of their neighbors, and many agreed to so do as a means to protect their families. Overall, the GDR citizens were victims of physical and psychological entrapment that was the making of a government that did not trust its own people.
