Stasiland Discussion Notes

CHAPTER 1 Berlin, Winter 1996

1. (page 1)
hungover: Funder opens her text by establishing a distorted view
of the former East Germany as she writes from the perspective of
being hungover. This alludes to the idea that the truth was often
manipulated and highlights the Communist propaganda present in
East Germany.
bruises: The bruises represent the ramifications of the
Communist regime. The effects were not evident until after the Fall
of the Wall. This demonstrates the idea that the regime has
inherently damaged German society.
2. (page 1) 5. (page 2)
A man urinating on the wall is juxtaposed with a cleaner push[ing]
disinfectant pellets along the platform. The cleaning is ultimately
fruitless as people continue to multiply the damage.
mask the smells of human bodies with something worse.
The attempt at fixing the repercussions of the Communist regime in
Germany is ultimately fruitless as it makes the situation worse.
This is in reference to the Stasi, as they operate on logic rather than
on practicality.