Erich Mielke - Meister der Angst

Before the Berlin Wall fell, Erich Mielke was the most feared man in East Germany. He created the East German "Stasi" and, for over four decades, ruled this most perfidious and effective secret service. Fear was key to the efficiency of the Stasi, and Mielke was the master of fear. But who was Erich Mielke, what was the secret to his power? With exclusive access to the psychiatric examinations which were secretly made after Mielke's arrest in 1990, this chilling programme attempts to reveal the inner workings of this infamous figure. Drama combined with archive sequences shows the two sides to the personality of Mielke: as one of the most influential decision-makers behind the Iron Curtain, and as the broken man that he became in prison in 1991, reflecting his dreams, his believes and his defeat in conversations with a psychologist. (Viasat)