Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
This is sometimes brought up to prove the "totalitarianism" of NS Germany: the claim that the Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on all telephone calls and stalk on private mail during its delivery just like how communist East Germany did. Is this true, or just another Allied propaganda?
- Waleed Y. Majeed
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Why not? With Wilhelm Ohnesorge as Postminister from 1937 the party and Gestapo would have had free hands to do as they pleased.
Waleed
Waleed
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Order of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State, from February 28th, 1933:
On the basis of Article 48 paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the German Reich, the following is ordered in defense against Communist state-endangering acts of violence:
§ 1. Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153 of the Constitution of the German Reich are suspended until further notice. It is therefore permissible to restrict the rights of personal freedom, freedom of (opinion) expression, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications. Warrants for House searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.
You've Been Warned....since March 1933...Did anybody notice?
On the basis of Article 48 paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the German Reich, the following is ordered in defense against Communist state-endangering acts of violence:
§ 1. Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153 of the Constitution of the German Reich are suspended until further notice. It is therefore permissible to restrict the rights of personal freedom, freedom of (opinion) expression, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications. Warrants for House searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.
You've Been Warned....since March 1933...Did anybody notice?
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
It was impossible to control every telephone call and every letter - not enough staff and equipment. But Gestapo had enough to surveil "suspicious" persons and they did.
- Helmut0815
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Compared to East German Stasi the Nazi Gestapo was a small organisation. While the Stasi had 91,000 officers in 1989 (plus ~150,000 "informants") for 17 million people (one Stasi officer for 187 people) the Gestapo had 31,000 officers, lots of them operating in occupied countries.
In Berlin the ratio Gestapo/residents was 1:4000; in rural provinces the ratio was 1:25,000
The Stasi had 2,200 officers in the central post offices solely working on clandestinely opening letters, recording suspicious content (and stealing western currency if found). The Stasi was almighty and capable of controlling large parts of mail and telephone calls while the Gestapo was far away from that.
regards
Helmut
In Berlin the ratio Gestapo/residents was 1:4000; in rural provinces the ratio was 1:25,000
The Stasi had 2,200 officers in the central post offices solely working on clandestinely opening letters, recording suspicious content (and stealing western currency if found). The Stasi was almighty and capable of controlling large parts of mail and telephone calls while the Gestapo was far away from that.
regards
Helmut
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Gestapo had also many "informants" and esp. Blockwarts controlled their neighbourhood. But one of Gestapo`s strongest weapon was fear. People didn't know how small Gestapo really was.
- Helmut0815
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
In fact, the Gestapo often got reports from people who were just upset at their neighbors for some reason. In the middle years of the Reich - this would certainly be before the end of the war when hoarding food or criticizing the war effort could get you a death sentence - the Gestapo understood that people sometimes needed to vent so often overlooked a one-time errant comment in a pub or a bad joke that was overheard. It was sufficient to warn the person to be more careful and let them go on their way. The spectre of the Gestapo knowing the content of every phone call and every letter was enough to cause most people to be guarded in their communication rather than the actual reality of it.
The Gestapo surveiled people they felt needed to be watched, but that wasn't everyone.
The Gestapo surveiled people they felt needed to be watched, but that wasn't everyone.
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
I think the Gestapo lacked resources for that, especially in the occupied territories.
It was possible, but it seems they never did it.
Another reason was German bureaucracy and turf wars that bogged down any efforts.
It was possible, but it seems they never did it.
Another reason was German bureaucracy and turf wars that bogged down any efforts.
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
It was not necessary in fact that a delation was given directly to the Gestapo. Also local officials of NSDAP or DAF in factories were receiving delations.
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
WM in occupied territories also different collaboration units were giving support to Gestapo. In Slovenia for example you had so called Home Guard police under the command of Lovro Hacin who was working under Paul Duscha, head of Gestapo in Ljubljana. Around 6000 people were imprisoned by Home Guard police. Many were sent then to German concentration camps. Some were chosen to be shot as hostages etc. This police was also involved in deportation of last Jews from Ljubljana in September 1944. They mostly died in German concentration camps later. Around 100 men in the police units were working as political intelligence service.
Home Guard organization had another intelligence service which was also working together with before mentioned police and Germans. In early 1944 they had 31 offices.
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
The Gestapo only needs to monitor very few people to maintain deterrence.
It is of course impossible to monitor everyone at anytime, but in countries where there is extremely strict censorship of speech (such as China), everyone always feels that it is not safe to speak about their political views.
By the way, there may be over million "Internet content cencorers" in China.Collect, delete, and report any "violating" information.
It is of course impossible to monitor everyone at anytime, but in countries where there is extremely strict censorship of speech (such as China), everyone always feels that it is not safe to speak about their political views.
By the way, there may be over million "Internet content cencorers" in China.Collect, delete, and report any "violating" information.
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
Hi Guys,
I seem to recall that chimney sweeps, (every house needed them periodically), had certain powers of surveillance on behalf of the State and this was only rescinded decades after the war.
Sid.
I seem to recall that chimney sweeps, (every house needed them periodically), had certain powers of surveillance on behalf of the State and this was only rescinded decades after the war.
Sid.
Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
This is correct : there were not that many devices/apps to eavesdrop on conversations by telephone and the production of them was limited and the WM (especially the LW ) came first .
Till 1935 the Prussian police was controlled by Goering who disposed of a strong eavesdrop organisation .( Forschungsamt )
When the Gestapo ordered the technicians who made these devices to work for them , these people were suddenly called up for military service and the result was that the Gestapo had to ask the Forschungsamt to eavesdrop,what it did or not .
It took the Gestapo til July 1944 to take over the Forschungsamt.
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Re: Was it true that the Reich government or Gestapo could tap/eavesdrop on private conversations by mail or telephone?
The Gestapo was after a lot of people who was in the July 20th,1944 plot.
Edward L. Hsiao
Edward L. Hsiao