ZEITGEIST

ZEITGEIST

On Holiday with the Stasi

How East Germany's secret police operated in Hungary

Katja Hoyer's avatar
Katja Hoyer
Jun 04, 2026
∙ Paid
At Lake Balaton, 1961. Img: Lencse Zoltán/Fortepan

Picture a couple, say, a middle-aged man and woman. It’s the late 1970s. They are sitting on beach towels by the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary, l…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to ZEITGEIST to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Katja Hoyer · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture