Through the lens of state power. Soccer fans in the eyes of the People's Police and the Stasi

Through the lens of state power. Soccer fans in the eyes of the People's Police and the Stasi



Soccer stadiums in the GDR were places of sporting enthusiasm - and provided space for protest against the SED dictatorship. "40 meters squared - minefield and barbed wire. Now you know where I live, I live in the zone" echoed from the stands in the 1980s. Soccer fans were targeted by the security forces and turned from spectators into observers. The open-air exhibition looks through the lenses of state power and brings the world of fans in the last two decades of the GDR to life.

The exhibition is a cooperation project between the Stasi Records Archive, the Zentrum deutsche Sportgeschichte e.V. and the four-gate city of Neubrandenburg. The exhibition is funded by the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship, the DFB Cultural Foundation, the Federal Agency for Civic Education and the State Agency for Civic Education M-V.

The exhibition is a contribution to the 2026 FIFA World Cup year.

More information: https://im-objektiv-der-staatsmacht.de/

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