Knowing the Stasi
- Location
- Online and in-person
- Dates
- Monday 9 May 2022 (10:00-14:30)
A CPD Workshop for A-Level Teachers
The East German secret police – or Stasi – had a wide network of informants, they tapped phones and opened post, and openly and covertly observed residents and visitors deemed suspicious. In short, they knew a lot about the people living in the GDR. But what did GDR citizens know about the Stasi? How did they share that knowledge? What strategies did they develop to counter the activities of the secret police? How did they exert agency? Who actively worked with the Stasi and why?
Knowing the Stasi will explore these questions and introduce a new set of teaching materials for use in the A-Level classroom. We will showcase the authentic stories uncovered in our research in an accessible format in both German and English. The workshop will be conducted in English. The workshop will be of particular interest for teachers of German and History who engage students with the history and memory of the GDR.
The workshop is based on the findings of the project Knowing the Secret Police: Secrecy and Knowledge in East German Society, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Professor Sara Jones, Department of Modern Languages at the University of Birmingham, is part of the project team alongside academic colleagues from the University of Newcastle.
The workshop takes place on 9 May 2022, 10:00-14:30 at the University of Birmingham and online. In person places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The workshop is FREE to attend. We have a budget for reasonable travel expenses in the UK. We are also able to offer a contribution of £100 to state-maintained schools or academies towards the cost of cover for teachers attending the event in person or online. This support is limited to 20 workshop participants and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please indicate at registration which costs you would like to claim. We will confirm funding allocations after registration closes.
Register for an in-person or online place at the workshop via the 'Register for this event' button at the top of this page.