REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

352
Remembrance in Time
Approximately 90 000 employees and 150 000 unofficial informants 2 inside the East-
German society worked for the Stasi. 3
With the German Reunification in 1990 a Special Emissary for the Stasi Archives, Dr.
Joachim Gauck, was appointed. In 1991, the Department of the Federal Commissioner
was officially founded and the position of the Special Emissary was renamed Federal
Commissioner for the Stasi Archives.
The department was established by Dr. Joachim Gauck. 4 Since 2000, the department
was directed by Marianne Birthler. Since March 2011, the department is directed by
Roland Jahn. 5
The Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives is independent in the execution of his
office and subject only to law. The department sees itself as a modern service institution
which works transparently for the people. 6 In 1992, the Stasi records were made available
for the general public. 7 Since then, every person has the right to inspect those files of the
archives which were compiled individually by the Stasi on this person.
In 2011, there were about 1825 men and women who work for the Federal
Commissioner. 8 In 2011, conflict occurred on the matter that there were approximately 50
ex-Stasi-employees among the staff at the office of the Federal Commissioner for the
Stasi Archives. 9 This conflict was addressed by the 8th Amendment to the Stasi Records
Act.
The Department of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives has five functions
to fulfil: It has to preserve the records of the Stasi in its archives. It allows access to them
for various purposes to private individuals, institutions and the public in accordance with
strict legal regulations. It has the task of instructing the public on the dictatorship of the
state party of the GDR, the SED. 10 For that purpose it does historical, political, judicial,
and social research. It provides information on the history of the dictatorship of the SED
in events, exhibitions, and on the internet. 11 The heart of the department is the archive. 12 It
documents the methods of the regime and the knowledge of the power of the SED and of
its secret police. The archive contains files, index cards, films, and audio documents.
2
More detailed information on the definition of unofficial informants: Lindheim, DtZ 1993, p.358.
3
Thereto: Eberle, DtZ 1992, p. 263.
4
Detailed information: http://www.bstu.bund.de/DE/BundesbeauftragteUndBehoerde/
AufgabenUndStruktur/_node.html;jsessionid=0B6FD9F99E40D9782290DED7FF3F46D0.2_c
id134.
5
Thereto: http://www.bstu.bund.de/DE/BundesbeauftragteUndBehoerde/Bundesbeauftragter
/_node.html.
6
More detailed information: http://www.bstu.bund.de.
7
BT-Drs. 16/9875, p. 6, http://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/_Anlagen/BKM/2008-06-18fortschreibung-gedenkstaettenkonzepion-barrierefrei.pdf?__blob=publicationFile.
8 th
10 Activity Report 2011 of the Department of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives,
p. 24: http://www.bstu.bund.de/DE/BundesbeauftragteUndBehoerde/Taetigkeitsberichte/
10_taetigkeitsbericht_pdf.pdf?__blob=publicationFile.
9
Exact information: http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/stasiunterlagengesetz106.html;
http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/stasiunterlagengesetz100.html;
http://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article942919/Fuehrung-der-Birthler-Behoerde-in-
Bedraengnis.html.
10
BStU, VIZ 2003, p. 571.
11 In addition: http://www.bstu.bund.de.
12 BStU, VIZ 2003, S. 570.