On May 14, the archival sources group for the course on research methods toured the Leipzig Stasi Archives, part of the Bundesarchiv, in Leipzig. They learned about the Stasi surveillance apparatus and how this has translated into the archives today.

The files have a particular history and relevance for local society and are often redacted for those impacted by surveillance and for researchers. They therefore could learn a lot about research ethics together with archives as institutions, and the painstaking work involved to save records. They are grateful for the archivists who took their time to explain the system and logics behind it. They are one step further in crafting their own research project!