"Explosives in the Mail" – Letters and Packages in the Crosshairs of the State Security Service

Lecture

Until 1989, Department M of the Ministry for State Security intercepted, opened, and inspected thousands of letters and packages every day. It searched for evidence of undesirable behavior or prohibited goods, or seized valuables and cash to supplement the strained state budget. Numerous documents and case files in the Stasi Records Archive bear witness to this practice. In the Stasi Records Archive’s collection of sample files, visitors can view some of these files as faithful reproductions of the originals.

On June 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. , researcher Dr. Konstanze Soch will speak as part of the “Sample Files Talk” series about mail and package inspections in the GDR. Using specific examples from her research and from the sample files, she will demonstrate the extent to which—and the arbitrariness with which—the secret police intruded into people’s private lives, thereby deliberately violating the GDR Constitution and human rights.

At 5:00 p.m., prior to the event, there will be an express tour of the permanent exhibition, including a look into the archives.



Please register at: or by phone at 030 18 665-6699.



Date and Time:

June 29, 2026, 6:00 p.m.

Stasi Headquarters. Campus for Democracy
Normannenstraße 21a, “Haus 7”
10365 BerlinTranslated with DeepL

Meeting point: House 7, A Glimpse into the Secret

Booking: or by phone at 030 18 665-6699

Next date:

• Date Monday, 29/June/2026 18:00 bis 19:30
• Venue Stasimuseum - Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße
• Address Ruschestraße 103, 10365 Berlin-Lichtenberg