Study links Stasi espionage to major East German economic gains
A Rockwool Foundation study cited by Reuters estimates that East Germany’s theft of scientific and technical information from Western companies increased its gross domestic product by 7.4% during the 1970s and 1980s. The research also says the gains strengthened the country inside the socialist bloc without significantly improving Western-market performance.
A study by the Rockwool Foundation has estimated that espionage conducted by communist East Germany increased the country’s gross domestic product by 7.4% during the 1970s and 1980s, according to Reuters, as cited in a DW Germany news blog. The research examined the activities of the Stasi, East Germany’s state security service. The agency obtained scientific and technical information from Western companies and passed it to businesses in East Germany, helping them improve productivity and support economic growth.
Albrecht Glitz, a co-author of the study, said the espionage strengthened East Germany’s position within the socialist bloc. He added, however, that it did not significantly improve the country’s success in Western markets. The study’s authors said the East German experience remained relevant as governments seek to protect strategic technologies, strengthen export controls and scrutinise foreign investment in sensitive industries.
The findings formed part of a wider DW weekend update on developments in Germany. The material did not provide further details about the study’s methodology, the sectors involved or the precise economic calculations behind the 7.4% estimate. The report presents espionage as an economic instrument that delivered measurable gains in East Germany’s domestic and bloc-wide position, while falling short of helping the country compete more effectively in Western markets.
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