BStU (Federal Commission for the Records of the State Security Service of the Former GDR)

The BStU (Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the Former GDR) is a German government agency responsible for managing and providing access to the archives of East Germany’s secret police, the Stasi. Its goal is to preserve these records, promote transparency, and help individuals understand how they or others were affected by state security activities. The BStU also supports research, encourages accountability, and ensures that the past is remembered accurately, contributing to reconciliation and historical knowledge about the East German surveillance state.