The archive holds documents from the Ministry of State Security for the former administrative region of Dresden. There are eight kilometres of archived written documents and a great number of images and sound recordings, but also such bizarre reminders of the Stasi’s activities as preserving jars containing specimens of the scents of GDR citizens who had been critical of the system. These documents and other items are evidence not only of surveillance and humiliation by the secret police but also of the bravery and civil courage of many people in the GDR. On guided tours of the archive, the filing systems are explained, examples of written documents are shown, and documents in the form of video or sound recordings are played. Interested persons can moreover apply to inspect particular files.
