The Stasi Turned 1 in 3 East Germans Into Spies

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]In 1989, angry citizens stormed a building in East Berlin and uncovered the most terrifying surveillance operation in history. The Stasi had turned East Germany into a nation of spies. One in three people were informants. Neighbors reported on neighbors. Children betrayed their parents. They kept files on 5.6 million citizens. They collected smell samples to train dogs, [music] analyzed handwriting, recorded private conversations. But their greatest weapon was blackmail. They'd catch someone in a compromising situation, then offer a choice: [music] become an informant or face prison. When the headquarters fell, the horrifying truth emerged. The Stasi had weaponized human relationships themselves.