Hagen koch a former stasi officer with whom anna funder speaks, hagen koch was partly responsible for building and mapping out the berlin wall in 1961. The stasiland quotes below are all either spoken by hagen koch or refer to hagen koch. Heinz and hagen koch both wanted an escape from the gdr and its lies, while professor mushroom believes that it was so much better in socialist east germany. Later on, however, he became exasperated with the cruelty. In august 1961, as a stasi cartographer, koch was responsible for painting the white line on the asphalt that marked the eastwest border at checkpoint charlie, along which the demarcation was to run. Stasiland characters stasiland, chapter and character overview.
The key themes and ideas of stasiland are developed as much by the structure of the text as they are by the description and dialogue. Hagen koch is running a tourist bus exploring the history of the wall. At the end of the book, hagen works at a museum presenting the history behind the stasi organization. This is ironic and hypocritical as the stasi themselves manipulate the truth. To some extent, anna funder does paint a black a white picture of her views, separating the victims from the perpetrators. This book is over 10 years old now first a fascinating research story how funder actually goes about researching the stasi and how people were affected by their surveillance, her experiences etc and the stasi itself is fascinating. Stasiland by anna funder is a book first published in 2003 about individuals who resisted the east german regime, and others who worked for its secret police, the stasi. When he was a member of the stasi, hagen would often rebel in various ways and he found the strength and courage to leave the organization even though he knew his family would suffer. Stasiland would be a different book if it had been written by a man. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. When hagen koch, general honeckers personal cartographer, sketched the outline of the berlin wall in 1961, he was redrawing the limits of the free world. The stasi used every method both legal and illegal to try and keep the people subdued including an army of informers who would track your every move. Likewise, hagen koch s father was sentenced to seven years as a prisoner of war for being in the armed forces.
Stasiland audiobook anna funder stories from behind the. Stasiland by anna funder though it is the hardest thing, to work out ones weight and heft in the world, to whittle down all that i am and give it a value. This chapter also shows how things have changed since anna was last here. Hagen koch, for example, whose council flat is now a museum to the old regime, has covered the walls with mementoes, such as a dress uniform of an officer in. Anna funder has written about the stasi in a way that sometimes seems like fiction, other times like memoir, and ultimately like an exceptionally readable history. The problem if it is one with reading history, is that it can get very technical and makes for a heavy read, this however is beautifully written and a triumph in. Chapter 18 page 178 hagen the man who drew the line, and who sat on the fence, pulls some righteousness from the postwall rubble.
Funder after that consults with frau paul, who was separated from her kid because he called for clinical attention in west germany, and that numerous times aimed to escape to see him. We meet hagen koch, once a true believer due to his upbringing. Hagen koch is the cartographer who fixed a limit where the berlin wall surface would be developed. Faithful also gives the connotations of the communism regime as a religion such as hagen koch being brought up to believe in the gdr like a religion. Anna funder has a much different take on german reunification and the lingering effects of the stasi and communism on eastern german society. He is released and allowed to go home on the condition that he quits the liberal democratic party and joins the socialist unity party.
Stasiland by aussie author one of the main things that kept it alive for that length of time apart from the berlin wall was the ministerium fur staatssicherheit or stasi as it was commonly known. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot. In 1993, hagen koch was interviewed for german television, and the interviewer, noticing the distracting glare from the plate on the wall, asked koch to remove it. Stasiland is the former east germany, a country where the stasi, the secret police, spied on every inhabitant, kept files on everybody, and seemed allpowerful. Discuss the symbolism of hagen kochs drawing of the line. Stasiland presents the story of german reunification through a representation of personal experiences drawn from interviews and research undertaken by anna funder.
In august 1961, as a stasi cartographer, koch was responsible for. It tells the story of what it was like to work for the stasi, and describes how those who did so now come to terms, or do not, with their pasts. Hagen koch, for example, whose council flat is now a museum to the old regime, has covered the walls with mementoes, such as a dress uniform of an. A readers introduction to stasiland on the night of sunday 12 august 1961 the east german army rolled out barbed wire along the streets bordering the eastern sector, and stationed sentries at regular intervals. Frau paul now benefits a company that advocate the compensation of those maltreated by the program. Anna funders stasiland demonstrates that great, original reporting is still possible.
Stasiland is a lyrical, at times funny account of the courage some people found to withstand the communist dictatorship, and the consequences for those who collaborated. Informers weak points were identified and they needed to be honest, faithful and trustworthy. Are there similarities in the things that motivate them. Discuss set in the aftermath of the fall of the berlin wall, stasiland. It tells the stories of those who resisted and engaged in what has been called the most perfected surveillance state of all time. Stasiland character quotes at caulfield grammar school. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A former stasi officer with whom anna funder speaks, hagen koch was partly responsible for building and mapping out the berlin wall in 1961. I came across anna funders book stasiland while researching germany in particular berlin from 19451990 and i have to say it is one of the best books i have read on any subject. She reunites with hagen koch at a gallery, and he takes her on his. The book stasiland uses the interviews with victims and perpetrators to inform the reader on life in east germany.
Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books. Berlin crisis and the berlin wall 19591961 21 terms. Ekkoes stasiland by christopher smith after releasing a number of tracks over recent weeks, uk electropop group ekkoes have now issued their full twelvetrack, third studio album, stasiland, inspired by the book. At the end of the book, miriam gives funder a copy of a poem that charlie wrote.
And i think because stasiland is a personal book and it never seeks to be objective in the sense a history book might aim to be, anna funder is in a position to take sides and becomes i had heard that it is quite a controversial book. Stasiland characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Hagen joined the stasi not because he wanted to, but because he was pressured into doing so. Her nonfiction book, stasiland, researched and written. When we got to where checkpoint charlie was to be, there were crowds of protesters on the western side shouting at us.
The spys the limit guardian first book award 2003 the. Funder after that consults with frau paul, who was. The authors gender is important in her investigations women make confessions to funder that they might only make to another woman but it is less central to the story, and to the debate that followed its publication, than her nationality. Stories from behind the berlin wall kindle edition by anna funder.
Some east germans kept their head down, toed the party line and just focused on living. It is a memorable book, and worth reading if you have any interest at all in politics and human behaviour. She found her subject in east germany, went for it bravely and delivers the goods in a heartbreaking, beautifully written book. Stasiland, by anna funder, originally published in 2002, is the true account of life in east germany during the communist regime, from 1949 to 1990. Stasiland character summaries my character summary for my year 12 exam on stasiland. Claire tomalin, guardian books ofthe year annafunder delivers a prize. She was tricked into admitting what she did and then released to await her trial chapter 3. Eventually as funder shows, each and every one, whether victim or perpetrator, were in the end defined by the physical and psychological restraints of the wall 234256. If these stories were the only ones funder recounted, the book would lack balance. Stasiland by anna funder is a book first published in 2003. Stasiland is a lyrical, at times funny account of the courage some people found to withstand the dictatorship, and the consequences for those who collaborated.
And others who worked for its secret police, the stasi. Stasiland demonstrates that great, originalreporting is still possible. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. People on bikes could evade checkpoints, they could have secret meetings, the mistake the gdr made was to force people into a. Report eines leipziger pfeffermullers german edition by hoerning, hanskarl and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The character of hagen koch in stasiland from litcharts. Funder explores the daily chaos and harsh beauty of berlin, a place where some people are trying to remember, and others just as hard to forget. Chapter 18 page 181 hagen koch heinz taught his pupils the doctrine of communism, including his little boy. Aug 29, 2012 all i can say is that it is a book that manages to show how history writing can be intimate while at the same time conveying facts and hard truths. Aug 12, 2011 it was an ordinary summer day, koch recalled in anna funders book, stasiland. Stories from behind the berlin wall, all that i am a novel set during hitlers rise to power, and stasiland, an investigative account of life in erstwhile east germany, anna funder reconstructs the germans fraught history with oppressive regimes. She volunteers at the museum set up in the former hohenshonhausen prison, where she was incarcerated in the 1960s for helping students escape east berlin. Hagen koch began working for the stasi, the east german ministry for state security, or ministerium fur staatssicherheit at a young age. Also in the same year, the work at the wall began but hagen decided to stay behind because he loved his wife. Annas early visit to west berlin left her wondering long and hard about what went on behind the wall. Quotes for stasiland the s tasi is an internal army 5 hagen koch, general honeckers personal cartographer.
Theme summaries flashcards from emily sagoljs class online. After meeting miriam, funder advertises in a newspaper for exstasi agents to allow her to interview them. Hagen koch s father, heinz koch, was born in saxony in 1912, an. The character of hagen koch in stasiland from litcharts the. Stasiland characters from litcharts the creators of. It is about individuals who resisted the east german regime.
Reuters it was an ordinary summer day, koch recalled in anna funders book, stasiland. Hagen koch was forced through circumstance to work for the regime. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Hagen is a former stasi member with whom anna talks with. When hagen koch, general honeckers personal cartographer, sketched the outline of the. Stories from behind the berlin wall by anna funder isbn. Buy stasiland large type large print edition by funder, anna isbn. The generic status of anna funders stasiland 2002 is uncertain, but it is clear from the opening pages that the author conceptualizes her project as an act of memory.
Read stasiland stories from behind the berlin wall by anna funder available from rakuten kobo. Funder wants to create portraits of people, east germans of whom there will be none left in a generation. Hagen became a stasi in 1960 and a year later, he married. Stasiland summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Later on, however, he became exasperated with the cruelty and bureaucracy. Stasiland discussion questions wednesday book club. It was shortlisted in australia for the melbourne age book of the year and the queensland premiers literary awards and, in the uk, for the guardian first book. Stasiland ebook by anna funder 9780062077332 rakuten kobo. A range of edited notes from students dr jennifer minter, english works notes most of the stasi operators were indoctrinated by the state about the virtues of socialism and were encouraged, by. But here we also meet stasi agents and informers, including hagen koch, the cartographer of the wall, and. This 47page guide for stasiland by anna funder includes detailed.
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