Stasiland Characters Flashcards
Who was Miriam?
Enemy of the state at age 16, investigating husband’s death, catalyst for Funder’s book
Aged in her mid-forties, Miriam has spent much of her life fighting the stasi. She became an enemy of the state at 16 years of age. She almost escaped East Berlin in 1968, but was caught, tried and imprisoned.
After her release she married Charlie, who later died in custody. She has spent decades seeking answers.
Ends up working at a radio station
Who is Erich Mielke?
The minister for State Security
Who is Herr Winz?
former Stasi employee, active member of the Insiderkomitee
Was once part of the stasi
Asked for Funder’s ID
brought a copy of The Communist Manifesto
He now belongs to a group of ex-Stasi men
adamant that people miss the safety of the GDR and eagerly awaits the second coming of socialism
Vehemently defends communism
What is Julia’s story?
Julia Behrend
30 year old who Anna sublets the apartment from, victimised by the Stasi, sexually assaulted in 1989
Julia is Anna’s landlord. The stasi closely monitored Julia because of her relationship with an Italian man. The Stasi also covertly controlled her education and employment.
Julia was raped just after the Wall fell.
She is mistrustful, anxious and unable to submit to authority
She moves to San Francisco to start a new life
Describe Karl Eduard Von Schnitzler’s life
former host of ‘The Black Channel’
He is 79 years old and frail, but aggressive
He researched, wrote and presented ‘The Black Channel’ which defamed the imperialistic views of the West
He remains staunchly committed to communist and GDR ideology
Who is Herr Christian?
worked for the Stasi in border control and in monitoring communication, punished for not advising Stasi of his extramarital affair
Lives in Potsdam (car)
Funder is taken to the places where he worked
He was locked up for 3 days and demoted for an affair he was informed on
He is now a detective
He worked on the Stasi’s border control.
He had no ideological commitment to the Stasi
Who is Hagen Koch?
painted the line on which the Wall would be built, runs a ‘Wall Archive’ and bus tours of the Wall
The man that drew the line for the Wall
He was the poster boy for the Free german youth program (blackmailed father)
He directed the Drafting Office for Cartographics and Topography.
He approved of the wall because they were taking advantage of the eastern way
His wife was forced to divorce him
who is Herr Bock?
former professor at the Stasi’s training academy, special in recruiting informers
The one that lives in the beige house
Taught Stasi men the science of recruiting informers.
His quiet menace makes Anna uncomfortable
Who is Herr Bohnsack?
Former member of the Stasi’ espionage unit, outed himself to the local media
He outed himself after the Wall fell. His expertise was disinformation
He made efforts to burn incriminating files in his family’s old baker’s oven
Herr Bohnsack is a sad figure that does genuinely seem to have lost his place in the new Germany.
Who is Frau Sigrid Paul?
Separated from her ill baby son by the Wall, imprisoned for helping students escape the GDR
Fraul Paul is in her early sixties. She volunteers at the museum set up in the former Hohenshonhausen prison, where she was incarcerated in the 1960s for helping students escape East Berlin
She refused a Stasi deal to inform on a friend and, in doing so, relinquished all opportunity of seeing her infant son, who was in a West Berlin hospital (Torsten)
Who is Torsten?
Frau Paul’s son
Born with life threatening injuries, Torsten spent 5 years in a West Berlin hospital.
Anna meets Torsten as an adult
Who is Klaus Renft?
ageing rock star, heavy drinker
A founding member of the Klaus Renft Combo, on of East germany’s most popular rock groups, which was banned by the Stasi in 1975.
Klaus is easygoing, philosophical and a heavy drinker
Who is Alexander Scheller?
Anna’s boss at West berlin’s overseas television station.
His dismissive attitude toward the East germans strengthens Anna’s determination to research and write Miriam’s story
Who is Uwe Schmidt?
Anna’s colleague who helps her track down von Schnitzler and Hagen Koch
Anna Funder
30 year old Australian living in Berlin
Narrator of text
