The term Zersetzung is generally translated into English as “decomposition”, although it can be variously translated as “decay”, “corrosion”, “undermining”, “biodegradation”, or “dissolution”.
During its first decade of the German Democratic Republic’s (East Germany’s) existence, the SED under General Secretary Walter Ulbricht consolidated their rule by overtly combating political opposition, which it subdued primarily through the penal code by accusing them of incitement to war or of calls of boycott and processing them through the regular criminal judiciary.[1
The Stasi then applied Zersetzung before, during, after, or instead of incarcerating the targeted individual. The implementation of Zersetzung—euphemistically called Operativerrgang (“operational procedure”)—generally did not aim to gather evidence against the target in order to initiate criminal proceedings. Rather, the Stasi considered Zersetzung as a separate measure to be used when official judiciary procedures were undesirable for political reasons, such as the international image of the GDR.[38][39] However, in certain cases, the Stasi did attempt to entrap individuals, as for example in the case of Wolf Biermann: The Stasi set him up with minors, hoping that they could then pursue criminal charges.[40] The crimes targeted for such entrapment were non-political, such as drug possession, trafficking, theft, financial fraud, and rape.
Subtypes of Zersetzung
– Lynch Mobs and Covert Blacklisting: Based on rumors created by dirty tricks and then circulated in an under-handed manner throughout the areas of life of the Dissident.
– Incited Violence: Seeking members of society during covert conversations to take the law into their own hands and act against the perceived threat the Dissident is said to represent based on rumors created and being circulated about the Dissident.
– Plausibly Deniable State Roles in Acts of Extra-Judicial Violence or Crimes: Use of thugs to assassinate or break into homes or make death threats or harass a person who is disfavored by the state thus the Dissident gets terrorist threats or burglaries from thugs that the police have an existing relationship with.
– Poisonings: Use of poisons. Often undetectable.
– Abuse of Psychiatry – Accusing a person of paranoia about police operations when the police are operating under-cover and openly stalking.
– Inciting the Dissident: Use of noxious elements to the Dissident that will pester the Dissident and perhaps provoke the Dissident to breach the peace AFTER the Dissident feels mocked or harassed or abused.
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