Morning meal details of Erich Mielke, former head of the Stasi, as recorded on an index card
In the heart of East Germany, where the East German State Security Service (Stasi) reigned supreme for more than three decades, the man at the helm, Erich Mielke, was known for his meticulousness and control. This trait was not confined to his leadership style, but extended to his personal life as well, as evidenced by a seemingly ordinary index card found in his desk.
The card, detailing breakfast instructions, offers a glimpse into Mielke's life, revealing his obsession with order and precision. From the precise arrangement of a tray with a carafe of coffee, a pitcher of milk, an egg cup, an egg, bread, a napkin, a spoon, jam, a triangular napkin, a plate with an egg, a spoon, and a knife, and the word "salt" encircled, it is clear that Mielke's personal routine was as regimented as the Stasi's surveillance and internal security operations.
Mielke, born in tenement housing in Wedding in 1907, grew up witnessing violent street fighting between the police, fascists, and communists. This turbulent upbringing may have shaped his need for control and order, traits that served him well in his leadership role at the Stasi.
By 1931, the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) had adopted a policy of avenging each slain worker by killing two police officers. Mielke, who had already fled to Moscow to escape the Nazi regime, survived the Stalinist purges and left Moscow in 1936 to serve as an operative in the Spanish Civil War. He returned to Germany on April 25, 1945, arriving on a Soviet aircraft along with other exiled German communists.
Mielke's tenure as head of the Stasi began in 1957 and lasted until the collapse of the regime. Under his leadership, the number of Stasi employees increased significantly, from around 4,000 in 1953 to as many as 105,000 by 1989. The Stasi operated under Mielke's leadership for more than 30 years, with a large network of unofficial collaborators and informers.
A classified directive issued in 1958 states that the mission of the Stasi was to prevent or throttle attempts to delay or hinder the victory of socialism. Mielke's leadership was marked by a ruthless pursuit of this mission, as evidenced by his participation in an operation to assassinate a notoriously brutal police officer.
The notoriety of the index card comes not from what it details, but for whom it was prepared. Found in the desk of Ursula Drasdo, Mielke's personal secretary, the card serves as a testament to Mielke's obsessive control and meticulousness, traits that were integral to his leadership style and the operation of the Stasi.
[1] This article is based on available factual information and does not aim to provide opinions or unrelated details. The focus is on presenting the facts in a clear and straightforward manner, suitable for a general audience.
Alluding to Mielke's organizational traits, the index card detailing breakfast instructions illustrates the same level of precision and control found in his leadership role at the Stasi, a body under his command for over three decades. Coincidentally, this obsession with order and detail was also uncovered in Ursula Drasdo, Mielke's personal secretary, whose desk housed the said index card.
