I finally decided to apply to view my Stasi (Eastern German Secret police) files. It took me nearly 20 years to make this decision. Of course, i was never a member of the Stasi, but me and my family are likely to have been spied on by them - certainly my late father will have a file, which I will apply to see next time, once I have all the necessary paperwork together.

here, I am filling in the application to view the files in the Leipzig office of the 'Bundesbeauftragte fuer die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'

Germans really can't keep it brief, eh.