Stasiland

In March 1997, Anna Funder placed an ad in the "Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung" seeking former Stasi officers and unofficial collaborators for anonymous and discreet interviews about life in East Germany. With her unbiased perspective, Funder spoke to perpetrators and victims, collaborators and resistance fighters, bystanders and heroes, giving voice to their stories and providing an authentic portrayal of the state and society from within. Funder, like many others, was fascinated by the divided city of Berlin during her first visit in 1987. During her second visit in 1995, she experienced East Berlin, reconnecting with old friends and hearing new stories, such as that of Miriam who, at 16 years old, fell under the grip of the Stasi and narrowly escaped over the wall, death strip, and search dogs, only to be deported to West Germany shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is these personal accounts that interest Anna Funder. Her interviews with perpetrators