Can You Tell I’m a Stasi Spy? The Crazy Disguises of a Feared Security State (Photos)
No, these aren’t adults playing dress-up—they’re real Stasi spies. A new book looks at the seemingly humorous yet very real disguises donned by East Germany’s secret police.
Stasi Archive
It’s difficult to take one of the most serious and feared state security forces, well, seriously, when they’re dressed in ill-fitting toupees and oversized fur hats. But no, the East German Stasi spies weren't playing dress-up—these were their actual government-provided disguises. From 1950 until 1990, The Stasi—comprised of almost 300,000 people—went to extreme measures to ensure the security of Communist East Germany. Pursuing covert operations both domestically and abroad, the secret police became notorious for their intrusive espionage, harassment, and persecution. In his new book, Top Secret: Images from the Stasi Archives, Berlin-based artist Simon Menner uncovered rare photos that seemingly "spy" on the very secret lives of Stasi policemen. The images—including spies in training and those on the job—show “the act of surveillance from the perspective of the survelliant,” Menner told The Independent.
From glued-on mustaches and wire-rimmed glasses to some very poor (although somewhat fashionable at the time) style choices—particularly when trying to impersonate tourists—it's hard to imagine these ridiculous-looking figures as some of the most frightening men of their era.
Stasi Archive
"The pictures...were taken during a seminar in which Stasi personnel were taught how to don different disguises. The goal of the seminar was to enable Stasi agents to move about in society as inconspicuously as possible."
Stasi Archive
Stasi Archive
Stasi Archive
"[These images were] taken from a so-called “catalogue of masks”— a manual featuring different disguises produced for training purposes. The goal of the catalogue was to '...simplify the selection of a disguise for a specific task when out in the field.' The different disguises were arranged according to types of professions."
Stasi Archive
Stasi Archive
Stasi Archive
"These disguises were often employed to help agents appear inconspicuous in places frequented by tourists, thus facilitating contact with visitors from the West. Noteworthy are such typical Western props as plastic shopping bags and cameras."
Stasi Archive
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.