Top Secret: Images from the Stasi Archives
Top Secret: Images from the Stasi Archives
|
Share this story
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778040/Stasi_1.1379506208.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778042/Stasi_3.1379506212.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778044/Stasi_2.1379506215.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778050/Stasi_polaroid.1379506227.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778086/Stasi_t.1379512947.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778048/Stasi_5.1379506216.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2778046/Stasi_6.1379506217.jpg)
1/7
Menner's collection includes many example disguises, which were formulated to help agents blend into everyday East German life. It's a stark contrast to the Nazi Gestapo's ominous black uniform, showcasing the insidious nature of the Stasi's integration into East German life. The photographs were shown at Stasi seminars, as a guide for undercover operatives. "The sad thing is they had to try hard to dress up like ordinary citizens. Something that normally should come easily."
