Bundesarchiv-Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv Schwerin

The Stasi Records Archive (until June 17, 2021 the Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic –GDR) is responsible for the preservation, management and accessibility of the records of the East German Ministry for State Security (1950 – 1989), its predecessor, the political police K5, and successor, the Office for National Security of the GDR. The Archive‘s holdings also include documents ceded to the Ministry for State Security, colloquially known as Stasi, by the line of activity K1 within the criminal police, as well as East German courts and prosecutors‘ offices. The Stasi Records Archive Schwerin is responsible for the files of the Regional Unit for State Security (Bezirksverwaltung für Staatssicherheit) Schwerin. 

The records of the Regional Unit (Bezirksverwaltung) Schwerin including those of the district offices (Kreisdienststellen) Bützow, Gadebusch, Güstrow, Hagenow, Ludwigslust, Lübz, Parchim, Perleberg, Schwerin and Sternberg consist of approx. 2,370 linear metres of paper files, some 50 photographs, 11 films, 2 Videos und 97 audio recordings. 

Access and usage of archival materials is regulated by the Stasi Records Act (Stasi-Unterlagen-Gesetz – StUG).