The
Stasi was founded on February 8, 1950. It was like the KGB, and was regarded by
them as an extremely loyal and effective partner among the other such agencies
of the Warsaw Pact.
Wilhelm Zaisser was the Stasi's first leader, and Erich Mielke his deputy.
Zaisser was removed by Walter Ulbricht, the leader of East Germany, in 1953 and
replaced by Ernst Wollweber. Wollweber resigned in 1957 after numerous clashes
with Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker and was succeeded by his deputy, Erich
Mielke.
Also
during 1957, Markus Wolf became head of the Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung (HVA) or
Main Administration Reconnaissance, its foreign intelligence section. As
intelligence chief, Wolf achieved great success in penetrating the government,
political and business circles of West Germany with spies. The most influential
case was that of Günter Guillaume which led to the fall of West German
Chancellor Willy Brandt. In 1986, Wolf retired and was succeeded by Werner
Grossmann.
In 1989, just before the dissolution of East Germany, the Stasi was renamed to
the Office for National Security and headed by Stasi general Rudi Mittig.
