Leipzig – October 30, 2026 -- A new MDR documentary is streaming now in the ARD Mediathek, and the people behind one of Germany's biggest post-reunification data scandals appear on camera for the first time. "Der große Stasi-Leak – Helden oder Verräter?" (The Great Stasi Leak – Heroes or Traitors?) airs on MDR-Fernsehen on November 10 at 8:15 p.m.
An anonymous 1992 list named 4,500 alleged informants
In 1992, an anonymous list circulated in Saxony-Anhalt naming 4,500 alleged Stasi informants from Halle/Saale. Who published it stayed secret for decades. After more than 35 years, the authors now tell their story for ARD History.
Smuggled microfilms and secret hiding places drive the story
The participants describe how they decided to make the names public. They recount smuggled microfilms, hiding places and covert operations. The film frames the events as a historical true-crime and espionage case.
The authors still doubt whether they were right
The documentary also covers the legal and social consequences of the leak. The participants say doubts still follow them: was it a necessary step in confronting East Germany's past, or a serious breach of the law? They also reflect on how their decision affected those named, the public and the broader reckoning with GDR history.
The film was produced by flow MEDIA on behalf of MDR.