Day 121: The File From the Archive
At her kitchen table in Görlitz, Bärbel (B), who grew up in the GDR, goes through the Stasi file she has finally received from the archive with her daughter-in-law, Sarah (A).
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a German word to see what it means.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native German, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning
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A
Bärbel, der ganze Tisch liegt ja voller Papiere. Ist das die Akte, auf die du so lange gewartet hast?
Bärbel, the whole table's covered in papers. Is that the file you've been waiting for all this time?
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B
Ja, nach zweieinhalb Jahren habe ich die Kopien endlich vom Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv zugeschickt bekommen. Allein traue ich mich nicht, sie zu lesen.
Yes, after two and a half years the Stasi Records Archive has finally sent me the copies. I don't dare read them on my own.
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A
Hier, ein Bericht über dich von 1978, jeder Besuch mit Uhrzeit. Wer wusste denn so genau, wer bei dir ein und aus ging?
Here, a report on you from 1978, every visit with the time. Who on earth knew so exactly who came and went at your place?
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B
Unterschrieben hat ein „IM Flieder“. Das wird Frau Hentschel aus dem Erdgeschoss gewesen sein, die saß ja ständig hinter ihrer Gardine.
It's signed by an informer code-named 'Flieder'. That'll have been Mrs Hentschel from the ground floor: she was always sitting behind her net curtain.
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A
Und hier, ein Brief an deine alte Adresse am Untermarkt, abgestempelt im Mai 1979 in Hamburg. Den hast du nie bekommen, oder?
And here, a letter to you at your old address on the Untermarkt, postmarked Hamburg, May 1979. You never got it, did you?
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B
Das ist Reinhards Schrift. Er durfte 1978 in den Westen ausreisen, und fast fünfzig Jahre dachte ich, er hätte mich vergessen.
That's Reinhard's handwriting. He was allowed to leave for the West in 1978, and for almost fifty years I thought he'd forgotten me.
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A
Soll ich vorlesen? „Liebe Bärbel, das ist schon mein fünfter Brief, und langsam frage ich mich, ob du mir böse bist.“
Shall I read it out? 'Dear Bärbel, this is already my fifth letter, and I'm beginning to wonder whether you're angry with me.'
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B
Der fünfte! Dann wird die Stasi die anderen vier auch abgefangen haben, und ich habe aus Kummer Günter geheiratet.
The fifth! Then the Stasi will have intercepted the other four as well, and I married Günter out of heartache.
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A
Also verdanke ich meinen Mann ausgerechnet der Stasi. Komm, ich mache uns einen Kaffee, und dann lesen wir weiter.
So I owe my husband to the Stasi, of all people. Come on, I'll make us a coffee, and then we'll read on.
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