Advertisement

Merkel’s challenger publishes his Stasi files

Author thumbnail
Merkel’s challenger publishes his Stasi files
Photo: DPA

The leader of Germany’s main opposition party has published files kept on him by East Germany’s former secret police the Stasi.

Advertisement

Peer Steinbrück put the files on his website on Thursday stating that he wanted everyone to be able to see them.

The leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), who is hoping to unseat Angela Merkel as chancellor in elections on September 22nd, said the files did not contain any explosive revelations, but they meant he had found out who was spying on him for the communist East German state (DDR) during his time there.

He worked for the West German government in the DDR for a short time in 1981, but he said: “Neither the Stasi or the secret service tried to make contact with me.”

Steinbrück appeared amused at the report which the Stasi had compiled on him, in which the spy claimed he was a “Marxist”.

He said the report showed how the Stasi spies had made mistakes. They even got the name of the minister Steinbrück was working for wrong.

DPA/The Local/tsb

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also