# Episode 14: Erich Mielke and the Origins of the Stasi

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi.md
Podcast: [Reichs & Republics | The German History Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533)
Published: 2026-06-16T15:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BATTLEGUIDETOURSLTD9148550754.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BATTLEGUIDETOURSLTD9148550754.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/reichs-republics-the-german-history-podcast-7771533/episodes/episode-14-erich-mielke-and-the-origins-of-the-stasi
Duration seconds: 3078

## Resource

In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the origins of the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police, and the ruthless mindset of its long-serving chief, Erich Mielke. From Soviet influence and early political repression to mass surveillance and paranoia, they examine how the GDR built one of the most intrusive police states in modern history. Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://reichs-and-republics.com/supporters Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/rr-paypal Merchandise and Shop: https://reichs-and-republics.com/collections/all Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/ Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Katjas socials X (Twitter): https://x.com/hoyer_kat Substack: Zeitgeist https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon - Production: Linus Klaßen - Editing: Hunter Christensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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