Ich habe mich nur an das geltende Recht gehalten

From 1951 to 1989/90 the main remand prison of the Ministry of State Security (MfS) of the GDR was located on the site of the present-day Memorial Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. Today, former prisoners impressively explain in guided tours, how they were exposed to the physical and psychological methods of attrition by their interrogators and guards. This is the first study to outline the origin, operation and mentality of the perpetrators. How did the SED regime ensure the loyalty of the Stasi staff? What motivated the employees to exercise repressive actions without scruples? Did they work under duress only and were mindless recipients of orders? Or did they act voluntarily and with conviction? The answers to these questions are crucial for determining whether and to what degree the full-time Stasi employees are accountable for the crimes committed in the second German dictatorship.