Israel Quote by Anna Funder
““Such applications were sometimes granted because the GDR, unlike any other eastern European country, could rid itself of malcontents by ditching them into West Germany, where they were automatically granted citizenship. The Stasi put all applicants under extreme scrutiny. People who applied to leave were, unsurprisingly, suspected of wanting to leave which was, other than by this long-winded and arbitrary process, a crime. An ‘application to leave’ was legal, but the authorities might, if the fancy took them, choose to see it as a statement of why you didn’t like the GDR. In that case it became a Hetzschrift (a smear) or a Schmäschrift (a libel) and therefore a criminal offence.””
About This Quote
Source Book: All That Is Secret Is No Secret by Anna Funder, 2007
The GDR used emigration applications as a tool to silence dissent, turning legal requests into criminal accusations.
In simple terms: Leaving could be criminalized in East Germany.
Key Takeaway
Beware how bureaucratic processes can weaponize ordinary actions.
Themes
politics
repression
legal manipulation
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- seeking asylum
- political dissent
- historical research
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
authoritarian control
state surveillance
human rights
Questions to Reflect On
- How can legal systems protect legitimate requests for freedom?
- What safeguards prevent bureaucratic abuse?
A Different Perspective
The quote reflects a specific Cold War context and may not apply universally.
![“[Islam] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left for Muslims lies in their observance of the God-made law.” quote by Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/704/abul-a-la-maududi-51903_function_islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislatio_886.jpg)
![“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_east-germany_the-penalties-for-being-an-accessory-to_200410.jpg)
