The significance of the opening of Stasi files for the legal processing of acts of injustice in the GDR
The significance of the opening of Stasi files for the legal processing of acts of injustice in the GDR

Author(s): Hans Altendorf
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Criminal Law, International Law, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Archiving, Security and defense, History of Communism
Published by: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů
Summary/Abstract: I would first like to thank the organizers for the fact they have, within a broad international framework, chosen as the theme of this conference “the crimes of Communist regimes”. And thank you for the invitation from my agency, the Office of the Federal Commissioner Preserving the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic (BStU), which is a partner of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, the initiator of this conference. The co-operation between our institutions was confirmed by a joint agreement just a few months ago. I would like to emphasise one thing – to draw attention to the differing tasks which the law has given us. The German institute the BStU is tasked with dealing with the activities of the East German secret police. However, we are not an institute which uncovers the criminal acts of the East German dictatorship. A distinguished expert, former supreme state attorney Christoph Schaefgen, will inform you about the criminal prosecution of the injustices of the GDR in a presentation tomorrow.

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