Der Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik

The BStU Archive in Berlin controls the storage, use and availability of documents of the Ministry of Staatssicherheit (1950 - 1989). The archive contains both written records and documents, as well as audio-visual materials. A focus in the archive is on certain documents regarding Stasi activities in West Berlin. The Stasi had spied on all sections of society in east Berlin, and consequently significant part of the collection provides information on internal official activity during this time.

The Archive holds written materials and audio-visual materials, such as photos, slides, videos, films and sound recordings. The Central Office (Zentralstelle) in Berlin holds roughly half of the 111,000 meters total of documents. The Archive's collections include: records of observation of public and private life mainly in the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, forms and reports from the Stasi to the party and state leaders, meeting minutes, and other Stasi administrative documents

Finding aids, including Findbücher, are available online on their website: http://www.bstu.bund.de/DE/Archive/Findmittel/_node.html. Thorough descriptions of collections of the Archive are additionally available online: http://www.bstu.bund.de/DE/Archive/Bestandsinformationen/Unterlagen-Alphabetisch/Unterlagen-Alphanumerisch_node.html.