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Page 1
OPK File
Illlusion
[Translators note:OPK is the abbreviation for a security process, which is explained on
the bottom of page 3 of the PDF, in English. Translation reprinted below.]
MfS XV 4088/87
Surveillance operation Illusion
(File No.: 1068/91, vol. 1)
Inclusive dates 1987 1989
Synopsis:
Operative personal monitoring operation (OPK) targeted at a freelance journalist wholived in Berlin. The state security service had noted that this journalist had also authored
poems and song lyrics that opposed the current SED politics. The OPK operation was
launched because the journalist had mounted a banner on a rooftop on the eve of May 1,
1987 that read: To learn from the Soviet Union is learning how to win and because hewas suspected of intending to form a subversive group.
Page 2
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Table of contents
OPK file Illusion
1.Table of contents 1
2. Overview form of OPK 2
Initiation report to the OPK 3-7
Catalogue of measures for the OPK 8-9
Progress report on the OPK 10-18
Info on the incident on May 1st, 1987 19-20
Info on the formation of a hostile group 21-24
Note to the file on the conversation with _____ 25-28
IM report on _______________ 29-31
Handwriting samples 32
Final report 33
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Page 3
[Translators note: The top half of the page is translated into English on the bottom halfof the page.]
Page 4
Overview form on the OPK
Reasons for initiation
________________ is performing songs and poems of his own composition in public
which display a critical viewpoint of the societal system.
Objectives of the OPK
- Investigation of hostile activities , plans and intentions of _________, the objective is toprovide efficient prevention of these
- Explication of significant contacts and relationships including potential
instigators/organizers from operational area
-Development of character profile for _________________ in order to identify reasons
and motives for his hostile disposition
Decision of initiation
______________________ Colonel, August 31st, 1987
IMs/GMs in charge of the operation
IM Uwe Wenzel
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IM Paul Steinke
Page 5
Reasons for termination of the OPK
Due to the changed political development in the GDR, as well as the abandonment of
previous erroneous security policies, further pursuit of the OPK is not justified anymore.
Dec 6th, 1989 Signature
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Page 6
Major division XX/9 Berlin, August 11th, 1987
Initiation report on the OPK Illusion
According to the ministry guidelines, instructions are given to conduct an OPK on
Name: ______________________
Place and date of birth: ____________________________
Profession: journalist
Occupation: freelance copywriter
Party membership: SED 1967 -1985, resigned
Marital status:_______________
Home address: 1055 Berlin
Police record: none
1.Personal data
___________________ was born to the administrative employee _____________ and the
salesclerk ________________________. He has a sister,
___________________________.
After completing elementary school and high school, _____________ studied journalism
from 1967 -1971 at the Karl-Marx University in Leipzig, according to a resolution of
the FDJ in Karl-Marx-Stadt [todays Chemnitz].
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After successful completion of his degree, he began his position as a journalist at____________________, at the editorial office of ______________________.
Page 7
Both at school and at university, as well during his position as a journalist at
_____________, which ended in 1979, _________________ was uniformly held in high
regard for his outstanding professional skills as well as for active social engagement. The
final assessment in his high school diploma is quite representative of this:
Ever since the school was founded, we have rarely had a young person who fulfilledtheir duties with such enthusiasm, conscientiousness and calm, while also adhering firmly
to his principles.
Since the beginning of his professional career, his political views began to deteriorate.
When he moved from ______________ to ________________ he began to socialize with
people who hold a predominantly negative view of the political development in our state.
_____________ began to identify himself more and more with their views and alsoexpressed this in the texts he wrote. This caused a dispute on political and ideological
matters with __________ of the writers association in Neubrandenburg, where he had
been registered as a party member. This dispute resulted with the expelling of _________from the SED in 1985. He commented on this in the following way: I am in a conflict
with the party, my main conflict is that I am being forced to pretend and to lie in my work
as a journalist. I am not able to represent and endorse party politics any longer. I am notwilling to keep quiet any more, instead, I want to freely put my thoughts onto paper. I
root for an unrestrained freedom of press as Rosa Luxemburg had imagined it; the SED
has alienated itself from the masses.
In his current activity as a freelance writer, he is composing poems and lyrics that include
hostile and negative content, and he does so for the operatively known singers:
___________________________________________
_____________ himself likes to read his texts____________________ in public.
__________ wife: ______________, resides in 1055 Berlin.
__________ son: _______________, born on ________ in Berlin.
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Pages 8-10
__________ wife: ______________, resides in ______________
__________ son: _______________, born on ________ in Berlin.
2. Operative issues at hand
It has come to our attention that ______ is planning to start an underground group and
gain public attention through hostile activities, but without breaking criminal law andother legal regulations. The following intentions and objectives are being pursued:
1. Attaching slogans to subway trains in Berlin. By combining different slogans that are
being used in our political system on various occasions, an anti-slogan shall be createdwhich is designed to ridicule slogans used in public. These activities are furthermore
meant to demonstrate to the public that an underground movement exists, and that there is
resistance against the monotonous politics of the SED and the lack of individual
influence on this politics.
____________ imagines these slogans to be stamped onto posters in public, as well as
onto inside Berlin subway trains.
2. Distribution of leaflets in apartment buildings in Berlin.
3. Distribution of bulk mail.
In conversation with unofficial sources, _____________ has already expressed theintention to make these hostile and negative activities known to western mass media.
As a test for the planned activities and their confidentiality, ________ and two other
operatively known persons mounted a banner on the rooftop of a house in SchnhauserAllee in Berlin that read, Learning from the Soviet Union means learning how to be
victorious.
When he was questioned about his reasons for making the banner, ______________
replied that he was a proponent of the current political development in the UdSSR and
wanted to alert the public to the fact that these processes were of great importance for theGDR as well.
As far as we know, ________ intends to involve the following individuals in his
activities:
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1._____________, living in 1100 Berlin
2._____________, see above
3.____________, living in 1055 Berlin
4.______________, living in 1058 Berlin
5. _____________
As an author and member of the group, _____________ makes public appearances withthe poems and songs he writes. There is unofficial consensus that these texts demonstrate
a clearly negative view of the existing political system in the GDR. Their overarching
message is that the current circumstances need to be criticized, rejected and changed.
In addition to cooperating with the hostile group ___________, __________ advises the
singers____________ and ___________, and is preparing them for a public performance
at ____________________.
Due to the reasons considered above, we come to the conclusion, that ________:
1.intends to sabotage party politics in public without breaking criminal law and other
legal regulations.
2. is distributing his hostile and negative views towards our state through his poems and
song lyrics and is thereby making them public.
To elucidate, investigate and estimate the issues at hand, a separate catalogue of measuresis being created.
Major _____________ Captain ______________
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Page 11
Major division XX/9 Berlin, August 11,1987
Catalogue of Measures OPK Illusion
Due to the issues at hand concerning
________________[Name, date and place of birth]
living in 1055 Berlin,
the following catalogue of measures is proposed for their elucidation, investigation and
assessment:
1. Extensive utilization of all sources in ______s social circles to assess
- hostile activities , plans and intentions, with the objective to provide efficient prevention
of these
- significant contacts and relationships including potential instigators/organizers from the
operational area
- a character profile for _________________ in order to identify reasons and motives for
his hostile disposition
The following IMs will be used primarily:
Uwe Wenzel, HA XX/9
Paul Steinke, HA XX/9
IMs of division II in Frankfurt/Oder
Date: ongoing
Officer in charge: captain ______________
2. Identify and select potential IMs from ______s social environment. In particular, the
following persons should be tested on their willingness to cooperate with the Ministry of
Security: ____________
Date: Sept 30th, 1987
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Officer in charge: Captain ____________
Page 12
3. Investigate __________s behavior within his neighborhood, in particular in thehousing board of the National Front.
Date: October 31st, 1987
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
4. Assess the possibility of constructing a supervision base in the neighborhood. Include
comrade ______ of division 22 (XXII) to investigate ___________s conduct in hisresidential building as well as monitor visitors to the apartment.
Date: Dec 31st, 1987
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
5. Employ operative technical methods of division M. [Translators note: This could
encompass any technical components of the actual supervision process from the
building of supervision containers to the installment of bugging devices.]
Date: ongoing
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
6. Gain insights on ____________s contacts and relationships.
Date: September 30th
, 1987
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
7. Evaluate ___________s texts and lyrics by IM experts, considering both their formal
aspects and their political agenda.
Date: October 15th, 1987
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
8. Any new leads on _____________ should be brought to our attention immediately.
Please report on the progress of the OPK by Dec 21 st, 1987.
Officer in charge: Captain ___________
Supervision: Major _____________
[Translators note: The short hand-written note on the bottom left corner is ineligible]
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Page 13
Major division XX/9 Berlin, June 17th, 1988
Progress report
On the OPK Illusion, Registration no XV/4088/87
The person in question
_________________[Name]
_________________date and place of birth
residing in 1055 Berlin
profession:
occupation: freelance author
is under investigation through an OPK since September 8, 1987.
Objectives of the OPK
- Investigation of hostile activities , plans and intentions of _________, the objective is toprovide efficient prevention of these
- Explication of significant contacts and relationships including potentialinstigators/organizers from operational area
-Development of character profile for _________________ in order to identify reasons,motives and contributing circumstances for his hostile disposition
Investigative results so far
Early in 1987, _______________ was planning to start a hostile group that would
discredit party politics by means of public activities. He planned to alert the public to theexistence of an underground opposition by displaying posters and banners during major
social events and holidays.
As a preliminary test for future activities, ______ and _________
[Name:]_______ Date and place of birth:________
residing in 1100 Berlin, __________ profession: teacher
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Page 14
mounted on the eve of May 1st, 1987 a banner which read:
Learning from the Soviet Union means learning how to be victorious
on the roof of a house in Schnhauser Allee 74. It was removed on May 1st in the early
morning through officers of the MdI.
When he was questioned about his reasons for making the banner by the police,
______________ replied that he was a proponent of the current political development in
the UdSSR and wanted to alert the public to the fact that these processes were of great
importance for the GDR as well.
After this activity became known and ____________ was questioned by the police, he
stated that he would refrain from undertaking such actions again, in particular because
__________________.
[Name]:______Date and place of birth:________ residing in 1100 Berlin,_______
It is the unofficial estimate that ________has realized in the meantime that spectacular
such as these do not yield the personal and artistic recognition he had hoped to gainamong his friends.
The sources we consulted uniformly agree that ________ is now increasingly trying to
express his political views through his artwork, and in particular through his lyrics forvarious singers and songwriters.
On every possible occasion, _________ is promoting a complete taking on of the currentpolitical processes in the UdSSR. He also expressed this opinion during his public
appearances.
His outlook is based primarily on wrong or exaggerated expectations, which lead to a
general frustration with the political developments in our state, as well as the rejection of
political realities.
These political views are also the reason for his current attitude towards the Ministry of
Security. He considers our organization as crucial for the oppression of the further
democratization of the GDR. He feels that his position is justified, among other things,by the Ministrys offensive measures against hostile provocations both from within and
from outside over the last few months.
Page 15
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In a letter to a friend, he wrote the following:
[Translators note: Personal data redacted here.]
The longer this situation in Moscow continues, the more uncomfortable it will getaround here. We will show them! (I am talking about the Ministry of Security) Theyshould rather take care of the real public enemies! The hustlers and sell-outs and
philistines and those who betrayed their ideals.
Related to the arrests during and after the Luxemburg/Liebknecht tribute in January 1988,
_______ initiated plans for a protest riot in the neighborhood. The protest riot was
successfully prevented by IMs.
IM experts assessed that while ___________ s texts do reflect a partly abstract and
utopian humanism, they do not question the socialist political system as a whole. He
displays a great sensibility for existing grievances and the insufficient exploration of our
humanist potential.
His poems bespeak some literary talent, he also quite gifted in his use of modern poeticlanguage.
Over the last few months, _____________ has made quite a name for himself in thesinger/songwriter scene. To our knowledge, his texts are currently published by the
following singers/songwriters:
______________
residing in 1040 Berlin
______________
residing in 7010 Leipzig
The latter three singers/songwriters (bands) have also participated with ________s lyrics
at the 9thchanson festival of the GDR in 1988, which took place in Frankfurt/Oder.
Page 16
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Since April 1988, _________ is participating in the singer/songwriter event seriesLiedernacht in the youth club: Erich Franz in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin.
He considered this event series a consequence of the Luxemburg/Liebknecht tribute
incidents in January 1988. Under the slogan We are still there, this series is supposedto demonstrate that the opposition against current party politics
__________________________________________ is also continued in the GDR even
after their [Translators note:Name/s of the people to whom this relates are redacted
here.] emigration to West Germany.
Even though _________ has a good relationship to ________, he is critical of herdecision to have emigrated to the Federal Republic of Germany rather than continuing the
fight in the GDR. He believes that it is important to stay now and to say the truth in a
way that one will be able to say it in the future (This is borrowed from a famous Brecht
quote). This means that political criticism needs to be formulated in such a way that onecannot be prosecuted because of it. His complete literary work is constructed around this
principle.
Our investigations so far have come to the conclusion that __________ has a large circle
of friends and acquaintances. Among them are several people that are operatively known
to the Ministry of Security.
In his neighborhood, they are the following:
______________, residing in 1055 Berlin
- Is in touch with persons who have been prosecuted due to the production and
distribution of hostile writings
- Participates in so-called intercession masses
- His wife, _______, makes photocopies of the material at work
- Owns an artists studio in _______s building, to which ________ has access at alltimes
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_________________, residing in 1058 Berlin
- Has contacts to privileged persons who are being suspected by the HA to havecommitted intelligence activities against the GDR and are under surveillance
because of that.
- Has contacts to representatives of political underground scene in the GDR
- makes photos and slides for ____________ and his events.
_________________, residing in 1058 Berlin
- organizes secret so-called house and yard parties
__________________
- is part of the singer/songwriter scene
_________________, residing in 1113 Berlin
- close friendship, public appearances and performances together
_________________, residing in 1054 Berlin
- close friendship, public appearances and performances together
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Page 18
_________________, residing in 1055 Berlin
- public appearances and performances together
_________________
- writes lyrics for _____, is currently performing with ________ in an event series
_________________, residing in 1143 Berlin
- work-related contact
__________________
- is organizing the event series Liedernacht together with ______
_________________, residing in 7010 Leipzig
- is striving for an intense collaboration with _______, has also written lyrics for_____________.
_________________, residing in 1055 Berlin
- work-related contact
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Page 19
In the greater area of Neustrelitz:
______________ in ____________
- previously convicted for the producing and distributing of subversive writings
according to 106 of the penal code
- a close friend of _____, who frequents his apartment often, also when ______ is
absent
- extensive relationships to hostile and subversive persons in the GDR
___________________, resides in 1950 Neuruppin
- contacts to church-related subversive activists
___________________, resides in 2060 Waren/Mritz
- has written and publicized subversive political texts
___________________, resides in 2080 Neustrelitz
- was under surveillance under 1985 , suspected of having left the GDR illegally
Contacts to persons in non-Socialist foreign countries:
___________________,
- was caught in 1986 during the attempt to leave the GDR illegally, was arrested andreleased from prison to the Federal Republic of Germany.
- active letter correspondence
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Page 20
_____________________,
- former citizen of the GDR, moved legally to Zurich in 1985 after marrying a Swissnational
- 1983 personal contact to ________, signed a petition against the military service
law.
- active letter correspondence with ________
In his neighborhood, _______ is co-organizing so-called house and yard parties.According to unofficial assessments, these events are viewed as alternative citizens
initiatives that are partly organized for the benefit of the elderly and children and partly to
promote their political views.
Currently, _________ is gathering support to start a citizens initiative against the alleged
comprehensive rehabilitation of the neighborhood. By contacting governmentinstitutions, as well as architects and sociologist, they strive to prevent the demolition of
the neighborhood (according to our information, there is no governmental plan for this
neighborhood).
Our unofficial sources believe that _________ cares more about the opportunity to be in
touch with governmental institutions rather than being concerned about his own
apartment.
______________ organizes irregular meetings in his apartment. One part the guests are
intellectuals, the other part comes from the singer/songwriter scene. There are so-calledroundtables on literature, environmental concerns, or include scholarly presentations on
various subjects, film screenings and the organization of the house and yard parties.
During these events, _______ talks openly about his political views and attempts to
convince others of them. In the past, up to 50 persons have been observed attending these
parties on several occasions. This defies all legal regulations.
_____ is estimated to be financially well off. Even though he does not hold a regular job,
he makes enough money by selling his writings/lyrics ____________ and through
public performances to earn a living.
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Page 21
Even though ___________ has a large circle of friends and acquaintances, there are onlyfew people whom he trusts completely.
He is generally suspicious and withdrawn towards new acquaintances. He is aware ofbeing supervised by the Ministry of Security and takes precautions against potential
surveillance.
He does not discuss his romantic relationships out of principle and keeps occasional
girlfriends separate from his circle of friends.
Currently, _________ maintains an intimate relationship with __________, residing in1100 Berlin.
He met _______ in 1985, during the chanson festival of the GDR in Frankfurt/Oder. The
relationship became more intimate about half a year ago.
___________ intends to study music in 1990 and become a freelance singer/songwriterlater on.
Unofficial sources estimate that she is not interested in politics.
_________________, Captain
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Page 22
Major Division XX/9 Berlin, May 2,1987
Information
On the mounting of a banner on the roof of the building Schnhauser Allee 74,
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to unofficial information, a banner with the slogan
Learning from the Soviet Union means learning how to be victorious
(measuring about 2x 15 meters, yellow fabric, black inscription, applied with
airbrush)
was mounted on May 1st, at about 3 am. Furthermore, we were informed that
____________, residing in 1055 Berlin
claimed to have made the banner together with
____________, residing in 1100 Berlin.
The material (cloth, paint) was allegedly taken from the puppet theatre Zinnober.
The banner was mounted by
____________, residing in 1058 Berlin.
_______________ was included in this activity since _____________ believed the
location of the apartment of ______________to be ideal for the mounting of the banner.
As far as the motives for the mounting are concerned, we have been informed that
________ thought they should move away from the traditional celebrations on May 1 st
and replace them with alternative versions. This included not participating in the official
May 1stprotest march, instead, he encouraged smaller, private get-togethers.
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Page 23
By mounting the banner, ________ intended to promote his oppositional views after all,people in the GDR could and should learn from Gorbatschow as well.
The IM was instructed
- to investigate the persons listed above, as well as
- to attend future meetings in order to anticipate and prevent planned hostile
activities and intentions
The investigation and check-up on ________ is in process.
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Page 24
Major division XX/9 Berlin, May 20th,1987
Total of 4 copies
1stcopy
Information
On the planned formation of an underground group
According to unofficial information, the following person
_____________, residing in 1055,
occupation: freelance writer
has assumed a leading role in the formation of a new underground group that wants to
gain public attention through negative political activities.
The following circle of person, who know each other through common cultural and
artistic activities and have not participated in hostile-negative activities within an
underground movement now has to be considered a part of it:
1. ____________, residing in 1100 Berlin
2. ____________, residing in 1100 Berlin
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Page 25
3. ____________, residing in 1113 Berlin
4. ____________, (personal data still to be verified)
It is the groups objective to carry out conspiratorially planned public activities without
violating criminal law and other legal regulations.
An IM procured the following information during previous meetings, which occurred
irregularly in various participants apartments:
1. Attaching slogans to subway trains in Berlin.
By combining different slogans that are being used in our political system onvarious occasions, an anti-slogan shall be created which is designed to ridicule
slogans used in public. These activities are furthermore meant to demonstrate to
the public that an underground movement exists, and that there is resistance
against the monotonous politics of the SED and the lack of individual influenceon this politics.
Of particular interest for the group are the KPdSUs current politics on the
democratization in the Soviet Union, as well as the interview with comrade Haderpublished in the West German magazine Stern.
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They are planning to create several posters with hitherto unknown slogans and__________s poems using stamping and screen-printing technique. The posters
will have the same format as the subway advertisements and to attach them to
subway cars with sticky tape during an important political event (either during a
visit by Gorbatschow or for Pentecost 1987. Judging from the information we
have gained so far, two people respectively will attach the posters shortly beforethe end of the subway service on the route Ostkreuz-Bernau.
Page 26
2. Distribution of leaflets in apartment buildings in Berlin
3. Distribution of bulk mail.
As a test for the planned activities and their confidentiality, the aforementioned
banner was mounted on the rooftop of a house in Schnhauser Allee 73a in Berlin,
which is discussed further in a separate information note.
Currently, there is no information about existing contacts between the circle of
persons mentioned above and the operational area. [Translators note: Operational
area (Operationsgebiet) is the term used by the Ministry of Security for the
Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin).] Unofficial sources have discovered
that there are plans to collaborate with _______________, a FGR journalist who is
well respected in the GDR, in order to assure a same-day reporting on the activities inthe evening news (Abendschau) in West German television.
Instructions:
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1. Short-term elucidation of the aforementioned circle of persons and obtaining ofshort statements (see attachments).
2. Employ IM Steinke of division HA XX/9 with the objective to elucidate further
intentions and plans as well as the prevention of hostile-negative activities
3. Interrogate _________ and ___________ through the police division of
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin on the incident on May 1st, 1987, based on the police
regulation 11 (3) (on the enforcement of legal regulations, prevention of threatsand the elimination of disturbances) with the objective
- to ascertain intentions, circumstances, persons involved, and to prevent further
plans
- check whether a violation of regulative law applies here and criminal proceedings
can be justified against the persons involved
- impose appropriate requirements
Page 27
4. Interrogation of ________ by the HVA/X in order to convince him to abstain fromfurther hostile-negative activities.
5. Initiate preventive measures such as check-ups during specific times and atknown locations.
6. Consider contacting ___________ through the HA XX/9.
Attachments
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Page 28
Note
Berlin, May 27th, 1987
Conversation with ________ on May 26th , 1987, 3 -5:30 pm
The conversation with _______ was carried through in a calm, constructive manner. In
the beginning, we emphasized that this was not another control measure, but rather that
the conversation was motivated my pure interest in the development of ______.
As a result of the conversation, it can be estimated (following the assessment of _______)
that further conversations with ____ may be carried out in the future and may even be
sought out by him.
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________ answered the questions directed at him in great detail. He assured usrepeatedly, that he was not an enemy of our state, but that not all of his thoughts and
views were supported by official representatives of the state.
The main issues touched upon in the conversation were:
- personal development since 1985
- his retirement from the SED
- his return to Berlin
- the writing of texts/lyrics for different singers-songwriters
- his connections to _________, in his role as a writer
________ supports the current political development in the Soviet Union with all his
heart. His wishes for a similar development in the GDR. He particular suffers from the
intolerance and ignorance he perceives in the artistic sphere.
Page 29
He claims that artists were often forced into opposition to the GDR by the actions ofofficial institutions (example:______. However, he says that he does not agree with the
direction this person is going, even though he has also authored texts for him).
He says that artists are a sensitive bunch that cannot be handled roughly. Their opinionshould be accepted, or at least tolerated. He always promotes public discussion and
honesty over repression.
___________ claims that he has many friends in the so-called [intellectual/art] scene who
feel persecuted and intimidated. Often this leads to spiteful reactions, which are reflected
in certain undertakings (also in the cultural scene). He has felt persecuted and supervised
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himself before. Not so much currently. But he is certain that his actions are still beingmonitored.
On ____________ he said the following:
They [the group] had a program that was approved by the board for concerts and
performances, and which they performed in various cities in the GDR (on May 27 th,1987, for example, they were in Potsdam). They are driving to the various performancesusing a Wartburg station wagon (four people, instruments included). The reception varied
depending on the audience.
They are increasingly facing difficulties obtaining performance permits, especially in
Berlin. _______ will be performing at an arts competition in Frankfurt/Oder in the fall of
1987 .
Pages 30-31
At the end of the conversation, we told ______ that he could reach out to us over the
phone if there were any further problems (He was given the phone number used in thisoperation). We are interested in staying in touch.
_________ is currently in Italy. It seems that _______ is in touch with her over mail. He
received a few pieces of furniture and painting from her former apartment in___________. According to ______ , he was trying to dissuade______ from leaving the
GDR until the last minute. He cannot understand her decision. This is not an option for
him. We have no information who is now living in the former apartment of ______. This
will be clarified by a visit to the former wife of _______ and to the KD Neustrelitz. Since
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_____ is regularly involved in the Liederbhne series in Neustrelitz and often spendsthe night with friends after his performances, it can be assumed that he still has contacts
there.
Apartment of _____
________ just recently moved from _____ to _________. Even though his apartment in
______ was better equipped (gas heating, shower), he says he preferred the apartment in
________. He says it suited him better because he was able to carry out constructionwork (he merged two separate into one by removing a dividing wall). He received the
apartment through a regular exchange process at the KWV. His current apartment had
apparently been uninhabited for two years. Since he had registered the apartment in
______ as available back in April but had not handed in his keys even after being orderedto do so, the KVW opened the door by force and ____ claims that some of his
possessions that had remained there were stolen (camera, tin jug, dishes).
___________ also told us that he has not been in touch with _________ for a long time.
His children _______________________visit him regularly in Berlin. They take the
train and he picks them up in ______ Oranienburg.
Note:
During all our conversations, he did not comment on the incident with the national police,
even though he had several opportunities to do so.
In the apartment of ________
Page 32
Major administration A Berlin, October 20,
1988
Division II 4/412-th
IM report on ___________
I have known ___________ for about 10 years.
_______________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________This has become particularly apparent in the change of his personal
circumstances. Around 1980 he quit his position as a respected editor, became afreelance writer and also moved from a large city to an idyllic rural area. He was
burning all bridges to his previous life and wanted to start anew. He immediately
became very socially engaged in the villages close to his home. To him, this was trueliving and he was not open to hear otherwise. After two or three years he became
increasingly dissatisfied with his life. He started visiting Berlin again, moved about
and around, tried to cover up his frustration with himself and his environment bykeeping busy. I think the main reason for his frustration is that he failed to make
progress with his work as a writer. Judging from most of his literary work at the time,
you can tell that he was trying to force something and became increasingly rigid.
Many of his poems until 1985 reflect a black and white perception of things. Duringthis time he also decided to leave the party. It is my impression that he actually did
not want this decision, but at some point he was too proud to turn around. I am sure
that he regrets it today, even though he does not want to admit to it when talking withothers; however, this does not mean that he is not very critical of certain political
developments in our country. His latest musical program _______________ and other
writings are proof for this.
Page 33
I do believe, however, that he became more balanced ___________________, whichhas also become apparent in his political verdicts. Due to his black and whiteperspective, he still cannot see that a differentiated view of things is also necessary in
artistic and literary circles.
_______________ had been friends with _________ for four years. Together they
worked on a production of _______________. __________ admired the
independent and famous _______________ for a long time. But long before
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_______, he distanced himself from _________. Today, he speaks very negatively ofhim. _______ thinks that _____ presents himself as the ultimate messiah and guru of
the GDR and is now miserably trying to improve his image as _____________. He
believes that __________ does not care about socialism, but only about himself.
Even though we rarely see each other, I can see that ________ has overcome his
crisis. He writes a lot now, is successful with his lyrics, they are performed by well-
known bands and singers, he collaborates on projects with them, he seems to besomewhat financially stable, too (He does not complain about being short on money,
even though his apartment is only modestly furnished and he does not care for
expensive clothing either). He does not seem to have any problems with women,however, he does not have any committed or only short-term relationships.
____________________________________________________________________
_______
____________________________________________________________________
_______________________
He has distanced himself decidedly from certain friends of his past, in particular hisformer best friend ______________. He accuses him of having abandoned his
principles for the sake of his career and is writing demagogic articles even though he
should know better. (For example on the Soviet film Regret).
Page 34
He does dare contacting the journalist _________, since he has a guilty conscience
due to his resignation from the party. It appears that _______ was a role model forhim when it came to political questions.
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Signed IM
Page 35
Handwriting samples
_____________________________
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Page 36
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Capital letters
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 37
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Block letters
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 38
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Handwriting
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 39
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Block letters
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 40
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Capital letters
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 41
Berlin, May 25, 1987
Handwriting
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In our current time, it is simply necessary that the individual countries promote the sloganMore socialism and more democracy! Only where more socialism and more democracy
prevail, freedom can be guaranteed. Democracy and socialism form an inseparable unit.
Page 42
HA XX/9 Berlin, December 5,
1989
Confirmed:_______
Head of the division
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Final report on the OPK Illusion, Registration no XV 4088/87
The person in question
____________________, residing in 1058 Berlin, ________________
freelance author
was subjected to personal operative control on September 9 th, 1987. At the time, ______
was publicly promoting texts and lyrics that were directed against party politics.
The OPK came to the conclusion, that from todays perspective, _____________s
endorsement of gen. Gorbatschows reform politics and his advocating of similar changes
in the GDR did not violate any criminal or constitutional laws of our country.
Consequently, further prosecution of this case by the Ministry of Security is not deemednecessary.
Major __________
Page 43
[Translators note: pages 43 and 44 are identical to page 42. It is possible that several
copies of the same final report were sent to different divisions]
HA XX/9 Berlin, December 5,
1989
Confirmed:_______
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Head of the division
Final report on the OPK Illusion, Registration no XV 4088/87
The person in question
____________________, residing in 1058 Berlin, ________________
freelance author
was subjected to personal operative control on September 9 th, 1987. At the time, ______was publicly promoting texts and lyrics that were directed against party politics.
The OPK came to the conclusion, that from todays perspective, _____________sendorsement of gen. Gorbatschows reform politics and his advocating of similar changes
in the GDR did not violate any criminal or constitutional laws of our country.
Consequently, further prosecution of this case by the Ministry of Security is not deemednecessary.
Major __________
Page 44
[Translators note: pages 43 and 44 are identical to page 42. It is possible that several
copies of the same final report were sent to different divisions]
HA XX/9 Berlin, December 5,
1989
Confirmed:_______
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Head of the division
Final report on the OPK Illusion, Registration no XV 4088/87
The person in question
____________________, residing in 1058 Berlin, ________________
freelance author
was subjected to personal operative control on September 9 th, 1987. At the time, ______was publicly promoting texts and lyrics that were directed against party politics.
The OPK came to the conclusion, that from todays perspective, _____________sendorsement of gen. Gorbatschows reform politics and his advocating of similar changes
in the GDR did not violate any criminal or constitutional laws of our country.
Consequently, further prosecution of this case by the Ministry of Security is not deemednecessary.
Major __________
Page 45
File containing 33 pages was sealed on December 5th, 1989.
Seal no 5569.
Major ____________
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Pages 46-48
List of abbreviations
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Abbreviation
Division XXII
BV [Bezirksverwaltung]
FGR [German: BRD]
GDR [German: DDR]
EOS [Erweiterte Oberstufe]
FDJ [Freie Deutsche
Jugend]
HA II
Abt II
HA VI
HA XX
Full term
Division 22
District administration
Federal Republic ofGermany /West Germany
German Democratic
Republic
Higher secondary school inthe GDR, high schoolequivalent comparable to the
West German
Gymnasium, the diplomaallowed for study at the
university
Literally translated: Free
German Youth
Major division 2
Division 2
Major division 6
Major division 20
Additional explanation
Transformed into HA division
XXII, in charge of terrorism
prevention
Official socialist youth
organization in the GDR
In charge of counterintelligence
Within the Major
Administration A, this was the
division that was in charge oforganizations in the FGR
In charge of passport control
In charge of supervising
cultural, church, stateapparatus, and underground
matters
In charge of foreign espionage
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HV A or Hauptverwaltung
A
IM [Inoffizieller
Mitarbeiter
KD [Kreisdienststelle]
KMK [Kreisemeldekartei]
KPdSU
KWV [Kommunale
Wohnungsverwaltung]
M
MdI
MfS
NSA
OG
OPK
PKW
Major Administration A
Unofficial collaborator
District office
District registration index
Communist party of the
Soviet Union
Communal housing
administration
Division M
Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of Security
Non Socialist Foreign
Countries
Operational area the
Ministry of Securitys termfor West Germany
Operative personal control
Vehicle/car
by the GDR
Unofficial agent for the
Ministry of Security, workingconspiratorially and usually
unpaid
District office of the Ministry
of Security
Related to the passport and
registration divisions in thelocal police registration offices
[See definition in page 1 of this
document]
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PKZ
[Personenkennzeichen]
PZF [Postzollfahndung]
Reg. -Nr.
SED
StGB [Strafgesetzbuch]
SU
UdSSR [Union derSozialistischenSowjetrepubliken]
VP [Volkspolizei]
VSH
WKK
[Wehrkreiskommando]
ZPD [Zentrale
Personendatenbank]
Personal index number
Postal customs investigation
Registration numberSocialist Unity Party of the
GDR
Penal code/criminal code
Soviet Union
Soviet Union
National Police of the GDR
Vorverdichtungs-, Such-,
und Hinweiskartei,Military district command
Central Biographical
Database
Identification numberconsisting of twelve digits
Main index of the
counterintelligence divisions
Created in 1980