The MfS applied the decomposition before, during, after or instead of imprisoning the "target person". As a rule, the operational procedures did not pursue the goal of providing evidence of a criminal offense by the victim in order to open an investigation. Rather, the MfS viewed decomposition measures as an independent instrument, which was used when criminal measures were not desired for political or "political-operative" reasons (for example, not to endanger the international reputation of the GDR). [27] [28] In some cases, however, the MfS deliberately tried to criminalize individuals, for example by killing Wolf Biermannbrought in minors with the aim of being able to prosecute him later. [29] Non-political offenses such as drug possession, customs and currency offences, theft, tax evasion or rape were targeted as offenses for such criminalization. [30]
Guideline 1/76 names the following as proven forms of decomposition:
"systematic discrediting of public reputation, reputation and prestige on the basis of combined true, verifiable and discrediting, as well as untrue, credible, irrefutable and thus also discrediting information; systematically organizing professional and social failures to undermine individuals' self-confidence; […] Generation of doubts about personal perspective; Generation of distrust and mutual suspicion within groups [...]; local and temporal prevention or restriction of the mutual relationships of the members of a group […] for example through […] allocation of remote jobs”
– Guideline No. 1/76 for the development and processing of operational processes from January 1976 [31]
With the knowledge gained through spying, the MfS created socio- and psychograms and used them for personality-oriented forms of decomposition. Personal characteristics and tendencies (such as homosexuality ) as well as assumed “characteristic weaknesses” of the “enemy being processed” were specifically addressed – for example professional failure, neglect of parental duties, pornographic interests, adultery , alcoholism , dependency on medicines , tendency to criminal acts, collectors - and gambling passions as well as contacts to right-wing extremistsCircles – or spread as a rumor around the victim to expose the victim. [32] [33] From the point of view of the MfS, the measures were all the more successful the more personal they were applied; any "schematism" had to be avoided. [32]
Furthermore, the methods of decomposition included overt, covert or fake spying , checking letters and telephones , damaging private property and tampering with vehicles, up to poisoning of food and improper medical treatment. [34] Individual MfS employees accepted the suicide of decomposition victims with approval. [35]
In some cases, such as against the pastor and later Minister for Disarmament and Defense of the last GDR government , Rainer Eppelmann [36] and his friend Ralf Hirsch , [37] there are even concrete intentions to murder (death by freezing, poisoning, causing a car accident). documented by the documents of the MfS.
It could not be conclusively clarified whether the Stasi used X-rays to cause long-term damage to the health of political opponents. [38] With Rudolf Bahro , Gerulf Pannach and Jürgen Fuchs, three prominent GDR dissidents who had been imprisoned at the same time died of cancer two years apart . [39] A study by the BStUHowever, on the basis of the available files, ruled out such an intentional use of X-rays and instead only documented individual cases of negligent use of radioactive radiation sources that were hazardous to health, for example to mark documents. [40]
On behalf of the victims, the MfS placed contact or classified ads, ordered goods or made emergency calls to terrorize them. [41] [42] The criminal apartment burglaries carried out by the Stasi were particularly perfidious in order to invade the privacy of GDR citizens, with the aim of intimidating the residents and creating psychological stress by leaving obvious traces of their presence by leaving foreign objects or removal or modification of existing ones have been made. [30] [43]
Disintegration of groups, destruction of family and friendship relationships
The MfS manipulated friendships, love, marriage and family relationships through anonymous letters, telegrams and telephone calls as well as (often fake) compromising photos. [44] In this way, parents and children were to be systematically alienated. [45] To provoke relationship conflicts and extramarital relationships, the Stasi made targeted courtship attempts using so-called Romeo agents . [29]
IMs (including minors [46] ) were specifically recruited and deployed within the group to break up groups. Opposition groups were hampered in their work by permanent corrections and counter-proposals being brought into their programmatic discussions by IM.
LINK TO TERROR. HELP.
https://vk.com/video/playlist/751283717_23
