page_title: Erich Mielke
section_title: Televised humiliation
hierarchical_section_title: Erich Mielke / The Peaceful Revolution / Televised humiliation
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Festveranstaltung SV Dynamo, Erich Mielke ADN-ZB/Franke 25.3.83 Berlin: Festveranstaltung In einer Festansprache würdigte der 1. Vorsitzende der SV Dynamo, Armeegeneral Erich Mielke, Mitglied des Politbüros und Sekretär des ZK der SED und Minister für Staatssicherheit, das 30jährige erfolgreiche Wirken der Sportvereinigung.
context_page_description: Erich Fritz Emil Mielke was a German communist official who served as head of the East German Ministry for State Security, better known as the Stasi, from 1957 until shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
  A native of Berlin and a second-generation member of the Communist Party of Germany, Mielke was one of two triggermen in the 1931 murders of Berlin Police Captains Paul Anlauf and Franz Lenck. After learning that a witness had survived, Mielke escaped arrest by fleeing to the Soviet Union, where the NKVD recruited him. He was one of the key figures in the decimation of Moscow's German Communists during the Great Purge as well as in the savage persecution of suspected anti-Stalinists in the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.
  Following the end of World War II in 1945, Mielke returned to the Soviet Zone of Occupied Germany, which he helped organize into a Marxist-Leninist satellite state under the Socialist Unity Party, later becoming head of the Stasi; according to John Koehler, he was "the longest serving secret police chief in the Soviet Bloc".
  The Stasi under Mielke has been called by historian Edward N.
context_section_description: On 13 November 1989, Mielke was summoned to deliver a briefing about the protests to the GDR parliament, or Volkskammer. Formerly a "rubber stamp parliament," the disintegration of the SED's power had allowed the Volkskammer to begin exercising real authority over the GDR. Therefore, Mielke, as the head of the Stasi (known as the "shield and sword of the [SED] party"), was summoned before the newly empowered parliament to justify his position in Government.
  As his speech was broadcast live, Mielke began by using overly bombastic, flag-waving language, saying "We have, comrades, dear assembly members, an extraordinarily high amount of contact with all working people" (German: "Wir haben, Genossen, liebe Abgeordnete, einen außerordentlich hohen Kontakt zu allen werktätigen Menschen."). To his shock, the Volkskammer responded with boos, whistles, and catcalls.
  His face grief-stricken and pale, Mielke then tried to defuse the situation, "Yes, we have such contact, let me tell you-let me tell you why. I am not afraid to stand here and to give you an honest answer" (German: "Ja, wir haben den Kontakt, ihr werdet gleich hören – ihr werdet gleich hören, warum. Ich fürchte mich nicht, ohne Rededisposition hier Antwort zu stehen."). Mielke continued, speaking of the "triumph" of the socialist economy, continuing all the while to address the members of the Volkskammer as "Comrades" (German: "Genossen").  In response, Volkskammer member Dietmar Czok of the Christian Democratic Union, rose from his seat and raised his hand. The Volkskammer's President, Günther Maleuda, interrupted Mielke and urged Czok to speak.
  With his voice dripping with contempt, Czok told Mielke, "As a point of order, let me remind you that there are more people sitting in this Chamber than just your Comrades!" (German: "Zur Geschäftsordnung: Ich bitte doch endlich dafür zu sorgen. In dieser Kammer sitzen nicht nur Genossen!"). In response, many in the Volkskammer burst into applause, cheers, and shouts of "We are not your Comrades!" (German: "Wir sind nicht deine Genossen!")
  Trying to appear magnanimous, Mielke responded, "This is a natural, Humanistic question! This is just a question of formality."  (German: Das ist doch nur 'ne natürliche, menschliche Frage! Das ist doch nur eine formale Frage!"), leading to further shouts of displeasure from the members of the Volkskammer. In a last ditch effort, Mielke "raised his arms like an evangelist," and cried, "I love all – all Humanity! I really do! I set myself before you!" (German: "Ich liebe – Ich liebe doch alle – alle Menschen! Na liebe doch! Ich setze mich doch dafür ein!")
  Everyone in the room, including staunch SED members, burst out laughing. John Koehler later wrote, "Mielke was finished."
  Mielke's address to the Volkskammer remains the most famous broadcast in the history of German television. Anna Funder has written, "When they think of Mielke, East Germans like to think of this."
caption: Mielke addressing the SV Dynamo, 25 March 1983.
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