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Opto Voice ALD Stasi FINOW →
The system consisted of two stations: a remote one in the target area
(A) and a local base station in East-Berlin (B). Station (A) consisted
of a telephone transfer unit (German: Überleitungseinrichtung)
and the modular FINOW-I optical transceiver
shown in the image on the right.
It was connected to a telephone line of the West-German
Public Switched Telephone Network.
Station (B) consisted of a more powerful infrared transceiver, such
as the JO-4.02, an interface and a
telephone set. It could be
used by the Stasi for incoming as well as outgoing telephone calls.
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The device was developed by Institut für Nachrichtentechnik
(INT)
in East-Berlin, as part of its research project
Anwendung von Lumineszenzdioden (ALD)
— the practical application of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) [B].
INT was responsible for the development of
of the ALD-3K devices and the telephone interfaces, but the actual
production was done by the OTS of the Stasi [3].
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During the Cold War, the telephone lines
between East-Germany and West-Germany were closely monitored by the
intelligence services at both sides of the
Iron Curtain.
In West-Germany this was done by the
Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND),
whilst in East-Germany this was the responsibility of the
Ministerium für Staatssicherheit
(MfS) — the Stasi. As part of their assignment, the Stasi
had intelligence gathering agents in West-Germany, in particular in
the West-German part of Berlin.
To allow an agent to pass information to Stasi headquarters without
crossing the border, a variety of technical solutions were used, including
the use of optical transmission equipment, in German known
as Lichtsprechgeräte. Although these devices
provide virtually undetectable voice circuits, they require a direct
line-of-sight (LOS) and have a limited range, typically between 2 and 8 km.
By using the ALD-3K, the Stasi could directly 'tap' into an
existing analogue telephone line in West-Berlin, and only had to bridge
the short distance across the Berlin Wall.
Agents in West-Germany could then call in from virtually anywhere in the
world and deliver their messages to the Stasi without being noticed
by the West-German authorities. In the same vein, the Stasi could
use the unmonitored telephone line to make outgoing calls directly
to its agents in the free West.
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Document obtained from BStU [2] and kindly supplied
by Detlev Vreisleben [1].
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Full name: Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes
der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
(DDR) —
Federal Commissioner for the Records of the
State Security Service
of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) —
officially abbreviated to BStU.
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Document obtained from BStU [2] and kindly supplied
by Detlev Vreisleben [1].
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Saturday 11 December 2021. Last changed: Saturday, 11 December 2021 - 12:20 CET.
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