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Classified: Merkel — Why the Stasi File of Europe's Most Powerful Woman Remains Secret

On March 13, 2026, the First Chamber of the Berlin Administrative Court delivered a ruling that barely made headlines. Presiding Judge Jens Tegtmeier stated clearly: Marcel Luthe, former FDP member of parliament and plaintiff, had “no legal claim to the release” of possible Stasi files on Angela Merkel under the Stasi Records Act.