Gestapo Quote by Anna Funder
““In Hitler’s Third Reich it is estimated that there was one Gestapo agent for every 2000 citizens, and in Stalin’s USSR there was one KGB agent for every 5830 people. In the GDR, there was one Stasi officer or informant for every sixty-three people. If part-time informers are included, some estimates have the ratio as high as one informer for every 6.5 citizens. Everywhere””
About This Quote
Historical regimes employed extensive surveillance, with many citizens monitored, illustrating pervasive state control.
In simple terms: Many citizens were watched by secret police.
Key Takeaway
Awareness of surveillance history informs vigilance today.
Themes
surveillance
authoritarianism
history
Mood
concerned
informed
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- government policy
- digital monitoring
- activism
Key Concepts
political science
human rights
privacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does past surveillance compare to today?
- What safeguards protect privacy?
A Different Perspective
Modern tech changes surveillance dynamics.
![“The penalties for being an accessory to the attempt to flee the [GDR] were greater than the crime of trying to flee itself.” quote by Anna Funder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b36/anna-funder-9522_crime_the-penalties-for-being-an-accessory-to_200410.jpg)
