Ministerium für Staatssicherheit

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English: The Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS / en:Ministry for State Security), commonly known as the Stasi (from Staatssicherheit), was the main security (secret police) and intelligence organization of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The Stasi was headquartered in East Berlin, with an extensive complex in Berlin-Lichtenberg and several smaller facilities throughout the city. It was widely regarded as one of the most effective – and repressive – intelligence and secret police agencies in the world. The Stasi's motto was "Schild und Schwert der Partei" (Shield and Sword of the Party), showing its connections to the SED, the equivalent to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Another term used in earlier years to refer to the Stasi was Staatssicherheitsdienst (State Security Service).
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Ministers of State Security

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