Socialist, singer-songwriter, public enemy
It is almost impossible to imagine the cultural scene of the GDR without Wolf Biermann. Despite being banned from performing, the singer-songwriter influenced musicians and theatre practitioners in the GDR and beyond its borders.
Image gallery
As a committed socialist, Biermann moved from Hamburg to the GDR in the early 1950s and, after studying at the Berliner Ensemble, found his first artistic home. This was also the time when he first came to the attention of the Stasi.
The more Biermann expressed critical views as a musician and the closer his friendships with opponents of the SED regime became, the more intensively the Stasi monitored him and his personal circle.
The guided tour of the exhibition ‘Einblick ins Geheime’ (Insight into the Secret) showcases not only surveillance documents but also the Stasi’s handling of Biermann’s expatriation in November 1976 and the reactions of the GDR cultural scene to it.
Following the guided tour, you can visit the sample collection of files at the Stasi Records Archive; there is also a faithfully reproduced file volume on Wolf Biermann. It is also possible to submit an application to inspect the files directly on site.
- The number of participants is limited to 15. Please register by emailing einblick-ins-geheime@bundesarchiv.de or by telephone on 030 18 665-6699
IN GERMAN
Additional information
Dates
November 2026
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