“Zersetzung, as a concept, involves the annihilation of the inner self, the dissolution or disintegration of the targeted person. It was devised by the Stasi to induce severe pain and suffering in its victims — without leaving marks — and without the Stasi being the visible mastermind behind operations, instead making the target appear at fault. Zersetzung was designed to secretly destroy a target’s personal and professional lives, ruin them financially, and prevent them from reaching their potential, with the intention to produce irreversible depressive and panic-stricken behaviors.
In My Mind 