The File: A Personal History

by Timothy Garton Ash

When Timothy Garton Ash graduated from Oxford in 1978, he went to live in Berlin, ostensibly to research and write about Nazism. But once there, he gradually immersed himself in a study of the repressive political culture of East Germany. As if to return the favor, that culture--in the form of the dreaded East German secret police, the "Stasi"--secretly began studying him. As was Stasi's practice, over the years its study produced a considerable paper trail. After the fall of the East German communist regime, a government apparatus was established to allow those targeted to see their Stasi files, and Garton Ash discovered and pored over his. He then set about to interview the people who made this gross intrusion possible, the several case officers, and the numerous regular-citizen informers. The result is nothing short of a journey into the darkest recesses of the totalitarian mind, taking its place honorably alongside 1984 and Darkness at Noon.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Memoir, Germany, Politics, Biography, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

Timothy Garton Ash CMG FRSA is a British historian, author and commentator. He is Professor of European Studies at Oxford University. Much of his work has been concerned with the late modern and contemporary history of Central and Eastern Europe.

Reviews

[Radu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titlu alternativ : la altii se poate.

Ca tanar istoric, interesat de ceea ce se intimpla in Europa de Est, a ajuns cu o bursa in Berlinul de Est si a devenit automat subiect de interes pentru Stasi. Pina aici nimic spectaculos, am avut si noi parte de aceleasi apucaturi.

Dupa reunificarea Germaniei si-a cerut dosarul si a aflat "sursele" - prieteni, cunostinte, colegi. Deci, se poate. Aici se face diferenta : in Germania arhivele sunt desecurizate, iti poti accesa fara probleme dosarul si poti (pe raspunderea ta) sa iti confrunti trecutul.
Ceea ce autorul face si asta face cartea cu atit mai interesanta.