Putin's Post - Raw Footage of Stasi Headquarters in Dresden, East Germany (1989)

On 19 December 1989, just weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, ITN's cameras travelled to Dresden in East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR) ahead of a visit by West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. As well as capturing scenes in the city centre, the crew focused their attention on the headquarters of the Stasi, the feared East German secret police.

The city of Dresden was at the time the posting of young KGB officer Vladimir Putin. Just two weeks before this footage was filmed, the 37-year-old Putin had watched from the KGB headquarters where he was stationed as crowds of protesters stormed the Stasi headquarters across the road. He hastily set about burning documents in fear that the KGB building would be the next target of the mob. The experience - along with the collapse of the USSR that he witnessed on his return to Russia - impacted him profoundly, and did much to shape the worldview of Russia's future president.

#EastGermany #DDR #Dresden #Communism #SovietUnion #SovietWave #Soviet #KGB #Stasi #Putin #VladimirPutin

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[seamusrichard]

These recent videos full of footage this account has posted in regard to the fall of European communism in the late 80's/early 90's have been absolutely phenomenal and a true blessing for history geeks. Please keep posting things like this, they're positively fascinating!

[itsmebatman]

The part of the video where the young guy looked over the wall was the local Stasi-HQ (51.06644934199581, 13.783988797277846). Putin didn't work for the Stasi. He worked for the KGB. They had their HQ across the street in one of the neat villas in that quarter of the city.

[Czechbound]

I first visited in December 2007 ( so 18 years after this was filmed ). The city centre was already much revived, with pedestrianised shopping streets with new big shopping malls. They weren't replacing anything old, so it appears that most of the centre around the old town square had not been rebuilt after the war. Now, another 17 years later, the remaining vacant lots have all been developed. While obviously not as prosperous as Munich or the nicer parts of Berlin, there's still been a huge improvement since I was first there. And lots of cyclists. When I come back here to Prague, it's so obvious that *nobody* cycles here

[fratercontenduntocculta]

That first shot I thought was someone's kid wearing their hat. Those East German Soldiers were so very young.

[duartesimoes]

03:14 - Someone please explain me what is the point of filming the man shoveling earth for so long, I really can't figure.

[SteffenWernicke]

No. This was my workplace, the MfS Bezirksverwaltung Dresden, not Putins post. Putin was around the corner in an old mansion, in the Angelikastraße.

[asdvet]

Почему фасады домов и зданий не реставрировали? Странно!!

[hbowman]

Because of all the Trabants the traffic sounds like chain saws.

[marceloquiroga]

no hay casas, todos son edificios, me hubiera gustado vivir alli pero seguro que la STASI me hubiera vigilado

[duartesimoes]

How miserable. Looks exactly like some third world country in the mid fifties. And my Wife was Ukrainian and she said that they lived _very well_ in the East Germany! Jesas. 😱

[naukkis]

finland street where he used to train judo

[peterregorsek]

Life was better then. Now all cities look too much digital and plastic, with modern hollow facades with agressive colours, artificial LED lights...